KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Parents are voicing their frustrations after the state of Missouri shut down Hogan Preparatory Academy.
 
Since the beginning of the school year, LaKisha Martin said violence has been an issue. Now that the school is closed temporarily, she wants the district to be more transparent because up until this point, she said it’s been the opposite.

Martin’s daughter is a freshman at the school.

“The third day of school she came home, ‘Mom you will not believe it. There were four fights today,” Martin said. “She’s actually called me to come pick her up from school early because somebody has airdropped a threat to come into the school and do something.”

Up until last Friday, Martin said the district had not relayed anything to parents that indicated there were severe safety concerns at the school.

The only person she heard from was her daughter.

“I don’t know how any kids are learning because she comes home every single day about something that has went on where it’s disrupting their learning,” Martin said.

On Monday, superintendent Jayson Strickland sent a statement that reads in part:

“The leadership at HPA has taken immediate steps including adding security personnel at the middle school and identifying additional personnel for the high school”

“I don’t feel like the school has granted me what is due to me when it comes to my child’s safety,” Martin said.

Now, Hogan Prep is on the brink of permanent closure if they don’t address these issues raised by the state by this Thursday.

This is a school that just opened a new building worth millions of dollars this year. Students will remain in virtual learning for the remainder of this week.