Grace Community School closes its doors with no warning to parents, staff

Parents of more than 70 students showed up to Grace Community School on Laura Street in Port Charlotte on Tuesday, only to find the doors locked and a sign stating the school is closed.

Assistant Manager Renee Hodge said she received a phone call while on her way to work. Otherwise, no warning for staff.

And now, everyone just wants answers so they can move forward.

“All the parents were out here. I couldn’t go in,” said parent Katie Callahan.

“There’s no answers…None,” said Hodge.

The only notice, the sign on the door, said the school would be closed for an undetermined amount of time, hoping to open a new location when “staff can meet the school’s standards.”

“It’s a crappy feeling to know that we’ve done so much and that’s the kind of comment that we get back,” said teacher, Esmeralda Magallanes.

“We are almost being shamed by the wording of that letter,” said Hodge.

Now, parents are hoping to get hundreds of dollars in refunds after paying for this full week’s tuition.

“For people that live paycheck-to-paycheck, it’s just not that easy to just pay another week,” said Callahan.

And workers now without a job just want to know “why.”

“Why couldn’t we finish out the week? Why couldn’t we get a heads up or figure it out,” asked Hodge.

“Why couldn’t we get a phone call,” asked Magallanes.

Hoping to move forward, and move on.

“I’m not even mad at this point,” said Hodge. “I just want answers.”

The school is allowing parents to pick up their child’s belongings and paperwork on Tuesday evening. They’re arriving at the school one by one.

We reached out to the school to find out if this closure could impact the school’s other SWFL locations. So far, we have not heard back.