Future of 2 Philadelphia charter schools unclear, creating confusion for families

SPRING GARDEN - There is unwelcome information days before school is supposed to start, as a set of Philadelphia charter schools delay their opening and it isn’t clear when classes will begin at Universal Bluford or Universal Daroff. Parents are left scrambling and many are expressing confusion and frustration.

"I’m very confused! They didn’t give us any information!" parent Latonia complained.

This comes after a post by Daroff Charter on Instagram told parents not to bring their children to school the week of August 29th, as originally planned.

"So, we’re baffled. We’re calling and calling and calling," Latonia said.

The School District of Philadelphia released a statement midday Thursday to address the confusion and they announced a special meeting Friday morning at 9 a.m. at school district headquarters to discuss:

Release and Settlement Agreement Between the School District and Universal Bluford and Universal Daroff Charter Schools.

Latonia and her daughter tell FOX 29 if both schools close, they have no idea where she’ll get her education this year. "Heck, if I know! I’m gonna find out, though, very fast. There’s a lot of schools in our area. When I called one, they said they were full!"

And, that’s the problem many parents will face so close to the school year starting. Most schools are at max capacity.

The school district says at Friday’s meeting, they will discuss options including allowing Daroff students to attend Bluford this year.

However, it’s possible too many students apply from Daroff to go to Bluford, which will result in a lottery to determine who gets accepted.

All of this coming so close to the start of the school year is creating chaos for families. One student is not mincing words about what she thinks needs to be done. "Get your stuff together. Y’all should open back up!"