Local

Charter school shuts down one day early after "chaos"

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Parents described a crazy scene Thursday inside Acclaim Charter School, where only two teachers showed up for work a day before the school permanently closes.

Some parents said they learned Wednesday that the school was closing on Action News This Morning.

The school had no choice but to shut down on Thursday, and there won’t be school on Friday, either.

Students and parents said Acclaim Academy was a madhouse Thursday when they dropped off their children.

"It's chaos.  It really is. Kids are running around jumping on the counters,” ninth-grader David Morphew said.

"Some were crying because they didn't want the school to close down," eighth-grader Naus'Jae Golden said.

Some of the parents didn't even know that the school was closing.

"I found out the school was closing down because of some type of financial issue. I'm just surprised I didn't even know anything about it. I thought it was a great school,” parent Holly Hudson said.

Principals from other local schools were on hand to enroll students in a new school starting Monday.

But parents had to come back to pick up their children because unpaid teachers didn’t show up for work.

"I think it's ridiculous. These kids have got four weeks left of school, and they close. These kids have got to learn a new school where the other kids are academically, making new friends. It's crazy," Stacey Apostol said.

Parents are also worried about scheduled testing going on this time of year.