Buffalo Creek Academy (BCA), a charter school that opened its doors in 2020, will be closing its doors earlier than expected. The school, which primarily served 5th through 8th grade students, will shut down on March 28, 2025, marking an abrupt end to its journey. This decision has left nearly 200 students and their families scrambling to find new educational options with the school year nearing its conclusion.
The SUNY Board of Trustees decided not to renew BCA’s charter, citing academic performance issues as the primary reason. Initially, the school had been given until the end of the academic year to transition, but this timeline was accelerated. As reported by WIVB, BCA’s founder and CEO, Dr. Christopher Manning, explained that the school had been struggling with a shortage of teachers and an increasing reliance on substitutes. This shortage led to concerns about the quality of education, as the substitutes were often unfamiliar with students and unable to deliver effective content.
Challenges in teacher staffing and its impact on students
The lack of consistent, qualified teachers created significant challenges for both students and staff. “We have some fine people that are inside the classrooms, but at the end of the day, in many cases, the substitutes aren’t teaching on content and sometimes they’re not very familiar with the students,” Dr. Manning said, as quoted by WIVB. He further emphasized that this situation resulted in students not receiving the same quality of education they would have with a regular teacher.
The decision to close the school early was also influenced by the pressure on substitute teachers, as the academy was unable to maintain a steady educational environment. “Our kids deserve better than that,” Dr. Manning added, as reported by WIVB, expressing the difficult but necessary decision to close the school to ensure better opportunities for the students.
Families face uncertainty with transition process
The closure has left 110 families placed in new schools, but nearly 60 students still need to be relocated by the end of the month. As reported by WIVB, a school fair was held to help families find new educational options, connecting them with local districts, charter schools, and private schools. Despite efforts to ease the transition, the process of transferring students mid-year has proven to be challenging, especially with the academic year already in progress.
The closure has also affected teachers, with many uncertain about their future roles. Dr. Manning has spent considerable time engaging with job fairs and other institutions to help staff find new positions. However, no specific numbers have been provided on how many teachers will be left without jobs, according to WIVB.
Buffalo Creek Academy’s early closure marks the end of a short-lived journey, leaving families facing a difficult transition and an uncertain future.