\n\t\t\t\t\t\t More than 200 students at Legends Academy Charter School are facing uncertainty after the school\u2019s board voted to close the Orlando campus just weeks before students are set to return from winter break.The school\u2019s board of directors voted 4-2 Monday to shut down the charter school, citing unsustainable financial challenges. Legends Academy has served the community for nearly 25 years.Parents say the timing and lack of notice made the decision especially difficult for families.\u201cDisgraced is the only word that I have,\u201d said Saleena Simmons, whose son attended the school for four years.Simmons said her son was devastated when he learned he would not be returning to Legends Academy.\u201cHe was sobbing. My son does not cry,\u201d she said. \u201cHe couldn\u2019t even enjoy his Christmas because the only thing he\u2019s thinking about is he won\u2019t have his friends from school.\u201dSimmons said parents received notice of the board meeting just before winter break, leaving little time to process or prepare for the closure. With her son just one semester away from high school, she worries about how quickly students will be placed elsewhere.\u201cThey\u2019re going to help us with withdrawal paperwork, but nothing was based on getting these kids into classrooms immediately,\u201d Simmons said.According to the school\u2019s website, Legends Academy had 214 students enrolled. As of our check on Monday, the website no longer lists academic or enrollment information, displaying only a notice about Monday\u2019s board meeting.In the meeting, board chair Frank Mitchell said the decision was made due to ongoing financial issues.\u201cWe do have the financial issues ahead of us, and we do have to make a decision,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cWe need to act so we can provide for the transition period and the next steps.\u201dThe school’s board of directors sent this statement to WESH2 News: “For nearly 25 years, Legends Academy has been a place of learning, growth and community for students and families, made possible by the dedication of its educators and staff. After careful review of the school\u2019s financial condition and long-term viability, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to close the school due to unsustainable financial challenges. This decision was not made lightly and does not diminish the impact the school has had on generations of families. The Board is working closely with the School District to complete the required closure process and support families as they plan next steps.”Simmons said the closure impacts more than just students.\u201cIt\u2019s 200-plus students. It\u2019s all of the staff,\u201d she said. \u201cThese people are displaced. They don\u2019t have a job.\u201dThe school said it is working with Orange County Public Schools to complete the closure process and plans to support families as they determine next steps.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\tORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n