Urban League faced with finding another location for charter school

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - The Urban League has learned it won't be able to open its charter school this fall in the former Village Woods Middle School building on Fort Wayne's southeast side. As a result of that, they're going to have to cut their student population in half.

"We're trying to do our very best to find another option," President and CEO of the Fort Wayne Urban League Jonathan Ray said.

A deal between the Fort Wayne Urban League and a local venture capital company has fallen through. Ray says it was a mutual agreement.

"We were glad that they considered the funding opportunity, it was just too expensive for the kind of project we were starting and we were unable to negotiate an early buyout."

Now the Urban League's left with a tough decision. Where will its new charter school open come August? It originally had plans to move into the former Village Woods Middle School on Fort Wayne's southeast side.

Ray says the Urban League's looking into alternative locations to house the charter school. As a result, they're going to have to cut their student population in half.

"The only reason that it has been downgraded is the space that will be available to occupy won't accommodate that number."

An organization called The Charter Schools Development Corporation has offered up funding for the project. The only problem is the Urban League won't have time to update this old building.

"The roof is something that needs addressed. We want to do some things differently in terms of pick up and drop off. We want to put a circle drive in. That's going to take a little bit of time. We want to get it ready and even better than what it was prior to its closing."

Ray says in the future he believes the charter school will move into the former Village Woods Middle School. He says he hopes to have an announcement soon on where it will be in the meantime.