As Fort Worth nonprofit closes its charter school, the property’s future remains undecided
As Fort Worth nonprofit Lena Pope is in the process of closing its public charter school, Chapel Hill Academy, the future of the school’s property on Sycamore School Road is still being determined while former and prospective families are reflecting on the news.
Lena Pope officials announced last week that the campus would be closed at the end of August due to a combination of competing charter schools opening in the area and student enrollment declining in recent years. The school serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade and opened in 2008. As school leaders are currently focused on the closure process overseen by the Texas Education Agency, it remains to be discussed whether the school facility will be used for other services provided by Lena Pope, or if it will be sold or rented, according to CEO Ashley Elgin.
“We have a lot of work to do in order to prepare the school for a close-down, and that’s our primary focus. We haven’t really begun the next phase,” she said.
Chapel Hill Academy had an enrollment of 535 students as of October 2023, according to TEA records. Enrollment peaked at 763 students in October 2020, the same school year when eighth-grade classes were first added.
Elgin noted that while enrollment declined at Chapel Hill Academy, the need for other child and family services offered by Lena Pope has grown. The nonprofit offers counseling and substance use services and behavioral well-being programs focused on areas such as juvenile justice and youth resilience. The organization also offers early childhood education through two child care centers that are nationally accredited and have the highest state ratings, four stars, through the Texas Rising Star quality and improvement program.
“At the same time that we saw the decline in enrollment, our child care centers have a three-year waiting list and our counseling services also have a waiting list, and our juvenile justice services continue to be in peak demand. We feel that to fulfill our mission, we’re needed elsewhere, and so we’re turning our attention to meet those needs,” Elgin said.
Fort Worth resident Jeffrey Williams and his family have strong ties to Lena Pope. Although they were disappointed to hear about the school closure, they were relieved to hear its other services would continue. Williams met his wife, Gloria, in 2016 through a class provided by one of Lena Pope’s services, and they got married at the organization’s Marty Leonard Community Chapel. The Williamses had planned to enroll their son Mateo in pre-K at Chapel Hill Academy in the fall but will now send him to Daggett Elementary School in Fort Worth ISD, he said.
“It was pretty disappointing having to pivot. Obviously Mateo starting pre-K is a big deal, and we were really excited about him becoming part of the Lena Pope family. We have no ill feelings though and are still excited about Mateo starting school,” Williams said.
Rachel Olivarez, a former Chapel Hill Academy parent and employee, said she was also saddened by the closure announcement, as her two sons attended the school during their elementary years and she had worked there for more than a decade in roles such as a substitute teacher and an administrative assistant.
“I still have many lifelong friends who work there and I know this will be a difficult transition for many of them. I know they care so much for the community they serve, and it’s sad to know that it won’t be an option for families in the future,” Olivarez said.
