Pinellas MycroSchool closed unexpectedly Monday, Oct. 26, about a week before the alternative charter high school had planned to end operations. About 80 students were affected. Students and staff arrived expecting another week of classes and were told the school was closing, Superintendent Kevin Hendrick told the School Board on Oct. 27, according to The Florida Press.


The school had informed Pinellas County Schools over the weekend of Oct. 17-18 that it planned to close at the end of October, citing financial and enrollment problems. Enrollment had fallen to 80 students, below a projection of 110, and the school said it could not make payroll, The Tampa Bay Times reported. Deputy Superintendent Stephanie Woodford told the Times, “They said they don’t even have money to make payroll.”


Hendrick said the district was working to find new school options for the approximately 80 alternative-education students and to secure equipment and supplies bought with public funds, The Florida Press reported. Woodford said the district would review each student’s situation individually. The district had not publicly identified specific placements in reporting available Oct. 28.


Why MycroSchool was under scrutiny


MycroSchool opened in 2012 and served students in grades seven through 12. In February, the Pinellas County School Board renewed its charter for one year after district officials cited inaccurate attendance records and claims for special-education services the school did not provide. The school returned the funds and asked the district to provide those services, The Tampa Bay Times reported.


The board’s renewal agreement listed conditions that could lead to nonrenewal or termination. MycroSchool closed before the district acted on those conditions.