New life for Wilmington’s Moyer Academy

Moyer Academy will open this fall under new management.

Maurice J. Moyer Moyer Academy Charter School will be open for students this fall under new management.  The Delaware Department of Education terminated the school’s charter in February after finding the school deficient in several areas including student performance, curriculum and highly qualified teachers.

This fall, the school will be run by the educational corporation K12, under  the auspices of the Delaware Department of Education.  State Secretary of Education Lillian Lowery says after seeing the  community support for the school, state leaders had special legislation passed to allow the Dept. of Ed. to supervise the school while applications for the charter are being evaluated.  “We were so moved by the sentiment of the community when they learned that the current charter was being non-renewed.  Nobody wanted an empty building sitting here,” Lowery said.

K12 will still have to compete for the charter while running the school.  K12’s founder and CEO Ron Packard says the company is committed to providing a world-class education to students at Moyer.  “K12 will apply every resource it has to making this school a success in every way and being a great asset to this community.”  He says the company had great success in turning around a troubled school in New Orleans, and hopes to do the same in Wilmington.

The man who led that turnaround in New Orleans, Edwin Fredie, will help operate Moyer Academy.  Fredie says, “We are here for the students, to make sure that we provide them with a challenging and rigorous education.  We are here for the parents to ensure you that your trust in our ability to deliver, we take very seriously.  And finally, we are here for this community, to make sure that this community maintains a high school and middle school within its own boundaries.”

Student registration will begin on Tuesday, July 20 at the H. Fletcher Brown Boys and Girls Club on Spruce Street.  Students who were enrolled at Moyer as of May 1, 2010, will be guaranteed a spot in the fall.  Secretary Lowery says those students had been in a difficult spot because most of them were attending Moyer because they were dissatisfied with the schools in their feeder pattern, and the opportunity to choice into another school outside of their feeder pattern had already expired.  Lowery says, “We are confident that based on the support that is surrounding the school from the community at large that the families will feel comfortable bringing their children back here.”

The school’s namesake, Rev. Maurice Moyer was at the school for today’s announcement that the school would be reopening.  Highlighting the perseverance necessary to keep the school alive, Moyer encouraged those gathered to maintain that spirit.  “Let’s work together and cause this to be a beautiful thing in the sight of everyone who places their foot on our seal.”