More than one hundred educators and staff are facing job loss as two Atlanta charter schools prepare to close their doors in June—a decision that has shocked parents, students, and teachers alike. The closures of KIPP Soul Primary School and KIPP Soul Academy come as part of the Atlanta Public Schools Board’s larger plan to restructure and save money in response to under-enrollment across the district.
Parents say they were caught off guard by the timing. “It’s really upsetting because there’s other kids like first graders and second graders who don’t know what’s going on or what school they’re going to go to, and their parents are complaining,” said Milani Bell, a fifth grader at KIPP Soul Academy. “And I also feel sad about the teachers because the teachers do a great job teaching me.”
Milani’s mother, Mary Harris, echoed the sense of surprise. “This is a shock to everyone, even staff. Now that, you know, they don’t even know where they’re going to have jobs.” Harris is now considering other KIPP schools and even private options as she waits to see what’s next for her daughter, who has thrived at KIPP Soul Academy. “It is a struggle to see where my child is going to go.”…