After 16 years, CHAMPS Academy will close due to tight budgets, rising costs, and low attendance
By Billy Loftin
Monday, November 23, 2009 at 6:44 p.m.
Read more: Local, Education, Community, Amarillo, CHAMPS Academy, Sanford Fritch, Sunray, Stinnett, Dumas, Borger, Panhandle, CHAMPS, CHAMPS Closing
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- CHAMPS Academy, an alternative high school for high risk students in our area, will close after 16 years.
Officials say that low attendance, tight budgets, and rising costs have forced the decision.
The campus currently has 65 students enrolled, which will go back to their home districts to continue their education.
"We don't see it that we're hurting the opportunities of those kids, we're just having to change programs, it's been a great 16 years for those people who set it up, the districts and what they did, but it's time to make a change go in a different direction to provide for the needs of those students, and we're still planning on doing that most certainly," said Daymun White, Sanford-Fritch Superintendent.
CHAMPS was a shared services arrangement between Sunray, Stinnett, Borger, Dumas, Panhandle, and Sanford-Fritch where the campus is located. The academy offered a self paced way for students behind, at risk of dropping out, or with other special circumstances to go and earn a diploma.
In the sixteen years in existence, CHAMPS graduated nearly 1-thousand students that were considered high risk.
