Harlem School of The Arts Closes Due to Financial Problems

The New York Times reports that the Harlem School of the Arts, which has offered arts programs for children and families in the Harlem community since since its inception in 1964, has been forced to close due to financial problems.

An email message from the school's interim executive director John W. Corwin was circulated to parents on Thursday advising them of the dire financial situation. In the email, Corwin wrote, "We are virtually out of money, with no clear sources ahead of us." The school will reportedly remain closed until April 10 when the school board is expected to make a decision on the final outcome.

Parents and families of children who attended the school are shocked and disappointed, says the New York Times. "We can only blame those in charge, the C.E.O.'s, the board members who didn't take a real interest in saving the school," said Eva Hall, whose 13-year-old granddaughter, Bobbi, takes dance and theater class there. "They're not even from the community. It was like they didn't really care about H.S.A.; it's obvious now. Who else could we blame? It wasn't the teachers. It wasn't the parents or students."

Another parent of a student was quoted in the Times as saying, "I'm just shocked. It's one of the pillars of the community."

To read the rest of the story in the New York Times, click here.