Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne will close Nov. 21, six months early for all underclassmen except seniors, writes Briana Smith for 6abc.
The school was to stay open into the spring for the 2025-2026 academic season before closing for good.
That is no longer possible, school officials said, citing “ongoing staff turnover and higher-than-expected cadet attrition,” the academy’s chairman said in a letter to parents.
Seventh-grader Anthony Ortiz Rivera wanted to be a cadet since he was in fifth grade.
“It’s just a big disappointment for me… I really wanted to join the military in life. I wanted to get a perspective of how the military was,” said Ortiz-Rivera, who earned a scholarship to attend the academy.
His mother, Samiha Ortiz-Rivera, said it’s heartbreaking since her son was finally able to afford going to the Academy. It also leaves them scrambling to find the next best educational option.
Staff shortages, longer shifts, and program cuts led to the former lead TAC officer, Master Sgt. Marc Lopez to resign on Nov. 7.
“I think they failed,” said Lopez, who focused on military instruction and mentorship. “I actually loved working there. I loved the boys. A lot of them needed a mentor, a father-figure.”
Read more about the sudden closing of the Academy at 6abc.
