Mt. Franklin Christian Academy closes its doors after 25 years

Editor’s note: Pastor Joe Williams, who was out of town at the time the story aired, offered to provide ABC-7 additional context about the closure of Mt. Franklin Christian Academy. His letter has been added in its entirety at the bottom of this story.

EL PASO, Texas – While many schools are getting ready to start the school year one west side school is shutting its doors.

Mt. Franklin Christian Academy announced Tuesday it will be closing and parents are left with many questions.

“We had heard about a month ago it was going to be open so it was kind of a shock it was a 180,” Dean Oliver said.

Parents like Oliver headed to Mt. Franklin Christian Academy to pick up their kids’ transcripts once they got word the school would be closing.

The private school opened in 1991 and has educated thousands of students.

Parents ABC-7 spoke with say they loved the school.

“It’s a great school, great teachers, our daughter really excelled here,” Oliver said.

Some parents even told ABC-7 the staff was almost like a second family.

“We were heartbroken. Like most of the other parents at this school,” Oliver said.

But one parent who wished to remain anonymous had some questions.

He told ABC-7 parents held a fundraiser in April to keep the school open:

“The school needed $30,000 to stay open and parents raised $35,000 dollars so how did they use that money?”

The parent told ABC-7 the school promptly returned the deposit he made in the spring, but was upset that the school did not warn parents with more time so they could make arrangements.

“I feel betrayed… it’s heartless and unChristian,” said the man.

Parents are now dealing with another dilemma. With two weeks left until school begins they are rushing to find a new school for their child and one told ABC-7 he even had to take time off work.

“Well, we’re going to have to scramble a little to get our daughter relocated but we’ll get it done,” Oliver said.

ABC-7 did reach out to principal Debbie Crutcher but she did not want to go on camera.

Crutcher referred ABC-7 to Pastor Joe Williams but he was out of town and not available for comment.

Pastor Joe Williams’ letter to ABC-7, August 10, 2016:

KVIA ran a story last Friday August 5 th about the closing of Mount Franklin Christian Academy which it has graciously allowed me to clarify.

An accusation was made by an “anonymous” parent that the school had raised $35,000 of $30,000 needed last year to “save the school” and then closed the school and wanted to know where the money was.

The fact is that all the parents were told back in December 2015 that our church had put over $100,000 into the struggling school to keep it afloat till May, but still needed $30,000 more to pay the teachers through their contract in July. The parents were told that even if we raised the 30$k last year that would not guarantee the school would open this fall unless we had enough students. We raised 35K$ and the teachers were payed through the end of last year’s contract. The extra 5k$ was used on advertising both radio, digital, and flyers and school improvements to try to get enrollment up so we could open this fall.

The teachers, staff, Principal Debbie Crutcher who started the school 25 years ago valiantly tried to save the school. They all took 10% pay cuts on salaries that were already less than half of what public school teachers make!

Yes we told parents we planned on opening the school this fall, because we fully intended to do so. We did everything possible to get enrollment up. We waited till three weeks before school opened not because we were “unchristian” as the anonyms (sic) caller was reported by KVIA but because we were trying to have faith and attempting everything we could think of to get enrollment up before school opened August 22.

Unfortunately by July 31 we only had 58 students registered which would have left us thousands of dollars in the hole. After a heart wrenching decision the school board and the servant leaders of the church decided we had to close the school. All fees and money paid to the school for this fall is being returned to the parents.

No one will be out a dime! Furthermore we are sending parents to three different Christian schools all located within 4 miles of our school, and all about the same price!

So the real story should have been about a fine school which after 25 years of providing a quality Christian education to thousands of El Paso children from preschool through 8 th grade, sadly closed its doors. About loving teachers who sacrificed for years, and taught for less than many custodians make in public school! Not a story based on an unfounded malicious accusation.