Raleigh News & Observer Logo

Education nonprofit New Schools is shutting down | Raleigh News & Observer

×
  • E-edition
    • Customer Service
    • Support
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Sponsorships
    • Stay connected
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Facebook
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • Social Media Directory
    • N&O Store
    • Buy Photos
    • Databases
    • Archives
    • Newsletters

    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Health
    • Local
    • North Carolina
    • Nation/World
    • Science
    • Thumbs Up
    • Traffic
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • All News
    • Counties
    • Durham County
    • Johnston County
    • Orange County
    • Wake County
    • All Sports
    • Baseball
    • Canes
    • College
    • Columns & Blogs
    • High Schools
    • NASCAR & Auto Racing
    • NBA
    • NFL
    • NHL
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Panthers
    • Soccer
    • Schools
    • Duke
    • East Carolina
    • NC State
    • North Carolina
    • All Politics
    • The North Carolina Influencer Series
    • State Politics
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • PolitiFact
    • PolitiFact NC
    • Rob Christensen
    • Under the Dome
    • All Business
    • Blogs
    • Columnists
    • Health Care
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate
    • Shop Talk
    • Stocks Center
    • Technology
    • All Living
    • Video Now
    • Best-Kept Secrets
    • Blogs
    • Celebrations
    • Comics
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Fitness
    • Food
    • Games and Puzzles
    • Home and Garden
    • Horoscopes
    • Mouthful
    • Past Times
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Video Now
    • Arts News
    • ArtsNow
    • Books
    • Contests
    • Dining
    • Entertainment
    • Games
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Television
    • On the Beat
    • Happiness is a Warm TV
    • All Opinion
    • Columnists
    • Dwane Powell
    • Editorials
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Letters
    • Opinion Shop Blog
    • Other Views
    • Submit a Letter
  • Obituaries

    • Advertise with us
    • Place Ad
    • Apartments
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Jobs
    • Legals
    • Obits/In Memoriams
    • Weddings
    • Today's Daily Deal
    • Special Sections
    • Today's Circulars
    • Rewards
    • Photo Store
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Legals

Education

Education nonprofit New Schools is shutting down

By Lynn Bonner

lbonner@newsobserver.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

April 28, 2016 06:50 PM

Financial problems are forcing the closure of NC New Schools/Breakthrough Learning, a champion of specialty and early-college high schools, the nonprofit announced Thursday.

The organization had expanded rapidly, said Jeffrey Corbett, president of its board of directors, and the expansion outpaced its funding.

“We ran into cash flow problems that were directly related to growth and the speed of growth,” Corbett said. “It was very, very unfortunate.”

The North Carolina New Schools Project started 13 years ago with a five-year, $11 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to restructure secondary education by creating smaller high schools. The Gates Foundation funding for restructured high schools ended, but New Schools continued its work with funds from a variety of sources, including federal and private foundation grants and some state money.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

The organization broadened its scope to support early-college high schools, regional specialty high schools and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) schools, and to coach teachers and administrators.

Early-college high schools target first-generation college goers and offer students the chance to graduate with up to two years of college credit or an associate’s degree. Those schools are standouts for their high graduation rates.

New Schools “did an incredible job and was doing an incredible job transforming public education,” Corbett said.

Last year, New Schools added Breakthrough Learning to its name and began working in South Carolina, Mississippi, Illinois and Indiana.

Tony Habit, New Schools president since its inception, resigned Wednesday. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.

The abrupt closure surprised many.

“I was absolutely shocked,” said Howard Lee, a former state senator and State Board of Education chairman. “I think the New Schools Project had a tremendous positive impact on public schools.”

Lee said he was rewriting a speech he planned to give Friday that references New Schools. Lee wants his own foundation to mimic some of the organization’s work, and he is concerned that New Schools’ ongoing projects will wither without its support.

Corbett said the board shares the sense of regret others in the community have expressed, and the organization will look for other money sources to continue its work.

“It’s too important a body of work to just stop,” he said.

The organization had 70 full-time and two part-time employees. A handful will continue to ensure an orderly shutdown, Corbett said.

In late 2014, the organization announced it had won a $20 million federal grant to expand early colleges to rural areas.

Corbett said federal money can’t be drawn until services are delivered, a situation that contributed to the cash flow problem. The organization will be working with other donors if they are owed money, he said.

Corbett said the board “saw a problem emerging” at the beginning of the year and tried to raise more money.

“We could not see a path forward for the organization,” he said.

The board decided Wednesday to shut it down.

Lynn Bonner: 919-829-4821, @Lynn_Bonner

  Comments  

Videos

Student reacts to teacher saying MLK killed himself

Wake substitute teacher told child his athletic clothing is ‘prison attire’ according to parent

View More Video

Trending Stories

What to Watch on Sunday: An all-star tribute to Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special

February 17, 2019 07:00 AM

Bunch of jerks? Not the Hurricanes having fun

February 17, 2019 09:55 AM

Bladen County operative ‘told us what we were to say’ at hearing, worker testifies

February 18, 2019 06:00 AM

Man dies after shooting in Raleigh’s Glenwood South district

February 17, 2019 11:50 AM

Girlfriend let him have sex with another woman, but he lost his pants and $10K, NC cops say

February 17, 2019 05:25 PM

Read Next

North Carolina could feel like Florida or Mexico in a generation, researchers say

North Carolina

North Carolina could feel like Florida or Mexico in a generation, researchers say

By Charles Duncan

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 15, 2019 12:19 PM

Climate change researchers from NC State University and the University of Maryland put together a map to compare what urban areas will feel like in 2080. North Carolina could feel like the Florida Panhandle.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The News & Observer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE EDUCATION

The other big Duke-Carolina game: Will the Daily Tar Heel or The Chronicle prevail?

Local

The other big Duke-Carolina game: Will the Daily Tar Heel or The Chronicle prevail?

February 15, 2019 07:16 PM
Friends rally around Cumberland Superintendent Marvin Connelly after cancer diagnosis

Local

Friends rally around Cumberland Superintendent Marvin Connelly after cancer diagnosis

February 15, 2019 02:03 PM
Protect tourism or give schools flexibility? The calendar fight is raging again in NC.

Politics & Government

Protect tourism or give schools flexibility? The calendar fight is raging again in NC.

February 15, 2019 10:56 AM
UNC had a plan to stop using coal to power its campus by 2020. That has changed.

Local

UNC had a plan to stop using coal to power its campus by 2020. That has changed.

February 14, 2019 12:32 PM
One year after Parkland, NC lawmakers call for more school cops and mental health staff

Politics & Government

One year after Parkland, NC lawmakers call for more school cops and mental health staff

February 14, 2019 01:24 PM
Silent Sam protester’s honor court case is dismissed by UNC appeals panel

Politics & Government

Silent Sam protester’s honor court case is dismissed by UNC appeals panel

February 14, 2019 04:12 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Raleigh News & Observer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Triangletoday.com
  • Legal Notices
Advertising
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Our Ads
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • N&O Store
  • N&O Photos
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Report News
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use


Back to Story