Students at an Atlanta charter school are donating their spare change and holding bake sales to try to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars required to keep their school open after the alleged theft of more than $600,000 from the school.
The founder of the school — Latin Academy — has been named as a suspect in the theft.
Latin Academy has about 250 students, most from low-income families, in grades six through eight. Academically, it’s a successful school — the state rates it higher than all but one traditional public middle school in Atlanta.
But the school was put on probation this fall by both Atlanta Public Schools and the state Department of Education. On top of the alleged theft, the school wasn't contributing to the state's teachers pension fund on time or complying with laws protecting children with disabilities, according to state and district records.
And in the middle of this school year, it saw a drop in funding after it enrolled fewer students than expected, Atlanta Public Schools spokeswoman Kimberly Willis Green said. As a charter school, Latin Academy receives public funding and is overseen by Atlanta Public Schools but operates independently of the district.
Last month, Latin Academy's board proposed closing the school, saying financial mismanagement and the alleged theft threw the school into a financial pit too deep to scale. But after hearing pleas from dozens of students, parents and teachers, the board postponed a decision about closure until later this month.
The board gave families and staff a month to come up with a plan to raise the $500,000-$600,000 board members said was needed to keep the school open. Parents and staff are aiming to raise $250,000, enough to keep the school open in the short term.
They’ve raised about $25,000 so far.
How you can help
- The school has an online fundraising page: www.gofundme.com/operationlacs.
- On Sunday, Latin Academy will hold a "Convivum" featuring food, games and more from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the school, 442 Metropolitan Parkway SW in Atlanta.
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