Students heartbroken after school close

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - 460 New Leadership Charter School students will not be going back to their own school next fall.

New Leadership Charter School on Alderman Street in Springfield will not renew its charter license for the next school year.

The Board of Trustees says they have half a million dollars in debt, but some parents and students aren’t happy with the decision.

There were lots of broken hearts at the New Leadership Charter School Wednesday night.

Junior Stephanie Martinez told 22News “We have all been talking about graduating together, how we wanted to go to prom together.”

Hundreds of 6th through 11th graders will have to find a different school in Springfield as New Leadership plans on shutting its doors in June.

Parents said they are upset because high school students will now have to go through the "Choice" process. They will submit their top 3 choices, but they will not be guaranteed their top choice school. Middle school students will have to go to the school that's closest to their house.

Heather Chartier whose daughters go to New Leadership said “She's half way done with all of her credits at the end of her sophomore year. So she's going be somewhere else? And they were saying the English books were the ones that she read two years ago.”

John Tirkot who has a sixth grader attending New Leadership said “In the public school, she's had problems with bullying. She was bullied, and she said this was the first time since third grade she hasn't been bullied. It's a really good school.”

And for students, leaving a familiar classroom will be a challenge.

Sixth grader Kayla Ramos said “This school education is awesome. You get anything you need. You get into college. It's a success. Teachers here they love you.”

Rebecca Wilson who graduated from the school last May said “It took me a long time, but they helped me. They made me who I am. They made me a leader.”

Springfield Public Schools will hire some teachers who currently work at New Leadership Charter School, but they don’t know yet exactly how many they can hire.