Summit Academy School in Lorain closing effective today, Sept. 30

Summit Academy School in Lorain is closed effective today, with more than 50 students and their families now needing to find somewhere else to further their education. In an email to The Chronicle-Telegram, Summit Academy Management Director of Communications Denise Henry said the Summit Academy School Lorain Governing Authority voted to close the school on Illinois Avenue effective today. "Summit Academy is extremely saddened by this outcome," Henry wrote Friday. "Families and staff members are being notified of the decision today." A meeting was held Aug. 30 to inform families of the school's uncertain future and to provide them with information about other local high schools and online schools, Henry wrote. Families who couldn't make it to the meeting were contacted by phone the following day. Lorain Schools is working with families to see if the district can serve their students, spokeswoman Lisa Roberson said Friday. "Earlier this month, we first became aware that the future of the school was uncertain, and students who live within the district's boundaries could be impacted," she wrote in an email. "At that time, we actively began reaching out to families to let them know we were here to help if they needed support with enrollment into Lorain City Schools. "We see all children who live in Lorain as our children and stand ready to serve all families," Roberson said. Roberson said she didn't have an exact number of students who might end up enrolled with Lorain Schools "as families continue to register with us for several reasons."Lorain Schools enrollment numbers "fluctuate slightly from day to day. But I do know several students with special needs have enrolled with us this month," Roberson said. Summit Academy officials told The Chronicle in early September that the school's future was uncertain due to staffing shortages. As of Sept. 2, the school's enrollment was 28 students in grades nine to 12 and 26 in sixth through eighth grades. The public community school primarily served students on the autism spectrum and those with attention deficits. All Summit Academy Schools are tuition-free, nonprofit community schools for alternative learners, according to the schools' website. Families with middle schoolers were encouraged earlier this month to apply for enrollment in Summit Academy's expanded Community School for Alternative Learners in Lorain. Lorain Schools provided transportation through Auxilio Transportation Services to 49 students attending Summit Academy who would normally be enrolled in the public school. Approximately 62 students attending Summit Academy lived within Lorain Schools boundary and 42 previously attended Lorain Schools, officials have said previously. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.