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Lancaster district holds public hearing on proposed closure of Leadership Academy, plans student transitions
Summary
The Lancaster School District held a public hearing on a proposed closure of The Leadership Academy, saying the small program’s low academic outcomes and high suspension rate prompted a plan to transition students to neighborhood schools with targeted supports; a closure resolution is scheduled for May 20 and would take effect June 6 if approved.
The Lancaster School District held a public hearing on the proposed closure of The Leadership Academy (TLA), which district staff said served 39 kindergarten–eighth grade students and exhibited persistently low academic performance and high suspension rates.
District presenters said the equity impact report showed suspension rates at TLA reached roughly 64.1% in 2023–24 — far above the district average — and that integrating students into comprehensive schools would increase access to resources, reduce exclusionary discipline, and promote inclusion. Staff described transition plans placing grades two and three at Monav Vista, other early grades at Discovery Elementary, and returning grades five through eight to students’ neighborhood schools. The district said families were notified and that receiving schools would provide mental-health supports and site-based administrative monitoring.
The board was told the proposal aims to mainstream students into classrooms with targeted supports rather than maintain a small separate site; staff said class assignments were preserved at receiving schools so students move with their existing class communities where possible. The district said the closure is intended to align with the Lancaster strategic plan on belonging and equitable access.
Board members asked clarifying questions about student reassignments, supports at receiving campuses and minimal disruption to local dynamics. No formal vote on the closure occurred at the hearing; the district said a resolution to close would be brought on May 20 and, if approved, the closure would be effective June 6, 2025.
What’s next: the board will consider a resolution on May 20; if approved, district staff said they would continue coordinating family communications and site-based supports during the transition.
