CHICAGO — Luther North College Prep's days may be numbered, but administrators are still looking for ways to keep the lights on until the bell rings on its final class in June.
After Luther North principal Wayne Wenzel cited "ongoing financial challenges" in the board of trustees' decision to shutter the school, one parent spearheaded the effort to draw private donations by launching a GoFundMe page.
"We're really just trying to finish out the year strong, and make sure we have enough at the end of the day to pay our teachers, and have a prom," said Susan De La Cruz, whose daughter attends the school as a freshman.
De La Cruz said she and other parents were "taken aback" when administrators told them that the school was facing a $225,000 budget shortfall for the year, leaving them in danger of having to end classes early.
But the drive for private donations is nothing new, according to Wenzel, who wrote in an email that the school's "donors have traditionally supported our operating budget," and administrators "continue to need support this year."
"We have every reason to believe that we will be able to finish the year," Wenzel added. "It will take the united effort of the entire school community."
