HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A judge may rule at a Friday afternoon hearing on the future of Walton Academy.
The county district said Thursday that it has filed an emergency motion to close a school that remained open this week despite the school board terminating its charter.
Officials said the injunction was filed “to stop Walton Academy from putting children at risk by continuing to operate in defiance of the Board’s action. We have requested an emergency hearing before a judge.”
The injunction, if granted by a judge, would prevent the school from being in session.
The school board, at the recommendation of Superintendent Van Ayres, cited safety concerns Tuesday night as the reason for terminating Walton Academy’s charter.
However, the school opened its doors Wednesday and Thursday, saying Wednesday that, “All alleged safety violations of the School were cured before the School Board’s decision to terminate the School, and there is no danger to students.”
Walton Academy’s attorneys say the school’s closure wasn’t as cut and dry as the district tried to make it seem after Tuesday’s meetings. They say they plan to comply with the injunction if it is granted but say that this is far from over.
District officials say they have reached out to parents about options for other schools, including their neighborhood school or using school choice to enroll in others nearby, including Muller and Shore Elementary Magnet Schools that focus on performing arts.
PARENTS REACT TO THIS WEEK’S DEVELOPMENTS
For parents like Mario Dunkin, Walton Academy for the Performing Arts is the best place for his first-grade twin boys. He believes any closure would only be temporary.
“If the doors close, we will home school until the school opens back up,” Dunkin said.
Stephanie Hicks said she is going to do the same, while helping her children understand what’s happening.
“My children are kind of like trying to process everything, especially my two older ones who were here since kindergarten, and they’re now eighth grade and ninth grade,” she said.
Spectrum News Staff, Jason Lanning
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