By Megan Zemple and Kelsey Marier
Published: Aug. 30, 2024 at 10:08 AM CDT
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – The Minnesota Guild of Public Charter Schools has announced that Rosa Parks Charter High School (ROSA) in southeast Rochester will be closing in October.
According to Minnesota Guild Executive Director, Dr. James E. Zacchini, the high school will close on October 10.
Zacchini said the Guild, the school’s authorizer, was required by law to make this decision for multiple reasons. Key factors included low enrollment, staff and board attrition, and frequent turnover.
“Ultimately, the most significant reasons centered on the Rosa Board of Directors and school leadership’s inadequate response to student and parent complaints about insufficient staffing to address their student body’s complex and significant needs, coupled with a lack of professional boundaries between staff and students,” Zacchini said.
Maddison Swanson, Rosa Parks Junior, is one of the many who expect their future classes to be canceled.
“If the allegations were true, then there wouldn’t be any petitions signed. There wouldn’t be a bunch of parents and teachers trying their hardest to not get the school closed down,” Swanson said.
Junior, Gavin Larson, says he is unsure what school he will attend when the guild plans to close the charter.
“This is a group full of vulnerable students and the Guild is telling us this a week into school, it’s just not okay,” Larson said.
In April, the Minnesota Guild received complaints concerning ROSA related to the following issues:
- Non-compliance with required Special Education (SPED) services and adherence to Individualized Education Plans (IEP)
- Physical and mental safety and well-being of students
- Off-campus travel with no prior notice or authorization from parents
- Appropriateness of subject matter pertaining to sexual health education
The Guild requested a response from the Rosa Parks Board of Directors, given the serious nature of the complaints.
Then in May, the Guild received additional complaints about ROSA. Because the Guild felt the concerns were not yet addressed or resolved, the Guild sent a formal intervention notice to the school board, requiring that it hire a third-party investigator. Again, the Guild requested a response acknowledging the notice.
In July, the Guild sent a letter of official notice to the ROSA Board of Directors that the charter contract between the Minnesota Guild and Rosa Parks Charter High School would be terminated as of October 10, 2024, due to the Guild’s significant concerns with the unresolved complaints against ROSA, students, Special Education, and staff.
The school had an informal hearing with the Guild on August 22 to address student, parent, and community complaints. The Guild Board reviewed the information presented by the school and the third-party Investigation, and decided it was in the best interest of the students and community to proceed with terminating the agreement.
On August 27, one week before the start of a new school year, the Guild sent the officially termination letter to the ROSA Board.
“We hear the success stories, we hear the testimonials, we see that,” Zacchini said. “But the safety of the entire student body is at play. And right now, we’re talking about complaints that have ended up in various legal recourse. But we don’t know what the future holds, as we have a new staff, we have a turned over board. We have a school that by all observable factors is in crisis.”
Rosa Parks Executive Director Jason Helm gave the following statement to KTTC:
“As far as we know, two families issued complaints to the MN Guild of Public Charter Schools. After four investigations, we were shown no evidence to support the thesis that any student was put in danger on campus. ROSA Parks, a safe haven for students who felt marginalized at other schools, has seen no physical violence or threats of violence over the past 3+ years. It is unfortunate that the MN Guild failed to follow its own procedures regarding: investigating complaints, working with schools to gather information and documentation, establishing a plan to fix any potential specific problem areas, providing clear timelines and benchmarks to achieve the aforementioned task, and supporting schools to promote success so they can remain open. To my knowledge, MN Guild Director Jim Zacchini never once spoke with me or the staff during this long process or before deciding on closure. ROSA is an inclusive school that embraces uniqueness and celebrates individuality. Understanding that learning is a lifelong self-discovery process, we teach high-level critical thinking skills along with real-world knowledge and empower young adults to be their authentic selves. In light of the closure, we are left wondering, what is it about this message that some find to be so dangerous?”
Rosa Parks teacher and school board member, Blair Larson, provided his statement to voice the faculties side of concern.
“Through all of this, we have continued to provide a safe school and exceptional learning opportunities for students...The situation did not have to end this way. Our authorizer could have provided more support. Our authorizer could have followed their own policies.” Larson stated.
Students and staff have created a petition, and as of Friday they have collected nearly 250 signatures. It’s their hope these efforts can prevent the school from closing in October. More about this petition can be here.
Zacchini said the Guild will assist families in finding alternate schooling options.
The Minnesota Department of Education has been informed of this closure notice and will follow up with ROSA directly.
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