According to reports, New Birth Christian Academy, a school within the walls of Bishop Eddie Long’s New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, announced its closing. A notice was sent to the parents of over 200 students, informing them classes will be discontinued after the Christmas break. Many assume the academy’s closing is a result of Long’s personal life, however, school officials deny these accusations.
The Christian Post reports New Birth Christian Academy’s letter sent to the parents cited decreased donations and enrollment, as well as a bad economy, as the reasons for the closing. It also said that school officials would help parents find other schools to enroll their children for the duration of the 2011-2012 school year.
School officials told Channel 2 Action News, “The deficit, along with declining enrollment over the years, left the New Birth Christian Academy Board of Directors with no other option. The board has made the tough decision to temporarily close the school.”
In this recession we’ve become accustomed to expecting the unexpected to happen. But, closing a school in the middle of the academic year is uncouth. Were financial problems not foreseen until now?