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WALDO – For the second time in a decade, Waldo has been left without a local school following the abrupt closure of Constellation Charter School of Gainesville.

On Thursday, May 1, 2025, the Alachua County School Board voted at a special meeting to immediately terminate the school’s charter, citing “serious concerns about the safety of students, staff, and visitors on campus,” as well as multiple violations of state law and the school’s charter agreement.

Though the school district had previously notified Constellation of potential closure due to financial concerns, district officials stated that the decision to shut down the school was based solely on safety and leadership issues unrelated to finances.

Under Florida Statute 1002.33(8)(c), a charter school sponsor may immediately revoke a school’s charter if there is “an immediate and serious danger to the health, safety or welfare of the school’s students,” and that danger is likely to continue without immediate action.

Constellation Charter School was located in the historic Waldo Community School building, which had previously housed Waldo Community School before its closure in 2015.

The news has sparked frustration and concern among local leaders.

Waldo City Manager Kim Worley called the board’s decision deeply damaging to the community. “This decision will significantly damage Waldo’s reputation. Even if another school is brought in, how can the community trust that it will remain open and not be closed abruptly again?” she said.

Worley reflected on the city’s educational history, citing the closure of Waldo Community School a decade ago. “In May 2015, the Alachua County School Board voted unanimously to close Waldo Community School, citing low enrollment and financial considerations,” she said. “This decision led to approximately 200 students being rezoned to Shell Elementary School in Hawthorne, requiring the students to be bused out of their hometown.”

“Following the closure, Waldo remained without a local school for several years,” Worley continued. “In 2023, the Constellation Charter School of Gainesville opened in the historic Waldo Community School building, offering education to students from first through seventh grade, with plans to expand to eighth grade.

“However, now, in May 2025, the school board closed the charter school due to significant safety and leadership failures, including neglected threat management procedures and delayed responses to safety threats. This sequence of events has left Waldo without a local school once again, raising concerns about the community’s ability to sustain educational institutions and the long-term impact on residents,” said Worley.

Notification from the school board to the families of all students via email, phone, text and hard copy letters state that the students will need to transfer to another school immediately or make other educational arrangements. According to the district, the transfer process into other Alachua County public schools has been streamlined to reduce disruption and assist families in finding immediate alternatives.

As of this school year, 89 students were enrolled at Constellation. Of those, 80 students had not previously attended a traditional Alachua County public school, having transferred from other charter schools, private schools, home education settings, or from outside the county. Only nine had previously attended a traditional public school in Alachua County.

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Email cwalker@

alachuatoday.com

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