CINCINNATI, Ohio — Dohn Community High School students and staff were enjoying their spring break on Friday when, suddenly, they found out their school year had come to an end.
In an email sent to parents and guardians of students, it was announced that the school would be closing effective Monday, March 31, due to "financial challenges stemming from the previous school year."
Kemothy Ruffin Jr., the uncle of a senior student at Dohn, told WCPO 9 that the news caught the family off guard.
"It's very devastating and unfortunate," Ruffin Jr. said.
He said the decision put his family and others in a tough spot.
"We don't know what the next steps are in order to make sure this young, African American male is able to graduate with his degree so he can go on to be a productive citizen," Ruffin Jr. said.
The news came without warning to everyone, including teachers like Keryle Hess.
"The head of the company told us that we'd be able to go to at least the end of April, probably end of May with no problem at all, and then we found out that we were closed," Hess said.
Hess said they knew the school would be closing. That had already been announced earlier this month, but all indications pointed toward students finishing the remainder of the school year.
"None of us expected it to be this quick," Hess said.
Hear how students and teachers are now searching for alternative options in the video below:
Hess said the company that owns Dohn expects a month's notice from teachers if they are leaving for another job. She said they also take a 10% reimbursement from the teacher's salary.
She said she wanted to begin looking for another job, but because of her contract, she put it off.
Now she said she and other teachers are left scrambling.
"We have to look for positions," Hess said.
WCPO 9 reached out to the CEO of the school, William Geraghty, asking what options students, particularly seniors, had moving forward. Geraghty sent the following response:
We recognize how difficult this situation is for our students and families, especially our seniors who have worked so hard to reach this point. Ensuring that our seniors can graduate on time is our top priority. We are actively working with multiple schools in the area to identify the best placement options that meet graduation requirements. Each senior’s situation is unique, so we will be reaching out to families individually to discuss the best path forward. Parents will receive detailed information early next week.
For students who are not graduating this spring, we have been in contact with several local schools to make them aware that families may be reaching out about enrollment. We are committed to supporting students in finding the best transition plan to continue their education.
Additionally, I have spoken with CPS Superintendent Shauna Murphy, and CPS is hosting an enrollment fair on Sunday at noon at 2651 Burnet Avenue in Corryville. They offer a variety of programs that may be able to support students during this transition. We have shared this information with all parents.
I appreciate you reaching out to get information from us on this. We know this is an incredibly challenging time for students and their families, and we are doing everything we can to assist them in making a smooth transition.
WCPO 9 interviewed CPS Superintendent Shauna Murphy on Saturday. She said they will be hosting an enrollment fair on Sunday at Noon for families looking for another option.
"We'll have an entire team of people from our Customer Care Center who can walk them through our registration and enrollment process," she said.
Murphy said they will also be at the building at 8 a.m. on Monday. She said if you aren't able to attend either session, you can register to enroll on their website.
Despite the difficult news, some people, like Diane Sharp, are trying to make the best out of the situation.
Sharp is the food service director at Dohn. Saturday evening, she held a banquet for two graduating seniors at Trinity United Methodist Church in Covington.
"I'm giving them their flowers because Dohn said 'it's where dreams come true,' after they closed like that, that's a nightmare," Sharp said.
Sharp said she mentored the two seniors, who served dishes they made for their families at the banquet.
She said she hopes the nearly 600 students who attend Dohn will find answers soon.
"We're trying to keep the kids out of the street," Sharp said. "That's the whole purpose of schools and stuff, right? But I don't think the kids should suffer for some adults' foolishness."
