Charter School Cancels 2025 Opening At Mall Amid Trump Cuts, Tariffs

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A charter school canceled plans to open this fall in the Annapolis Mall amid President Donald Trump's tariffs and federal grant cuts.

The New Village Academy promised "high school done differently" with community- and career-based education. The tuition-free charter would've operated under Anne Arundel County Public Schools and accepted students via a lottery.

"We are heartbroken," Head of School Romey Pittman said in a Monday press release. "This school was designed to give our community’s young people the will and the skill to take charge of their education and their future with Annapolis as their classroom. While the current administration’s policies have impacted families and organizations across our county and the country in far more harmful ways, we are devastated by the loss of this innovative opportunity for Anne Arundel County youth."

A $5.8 million construction loan was needed to get the school off the ground, a memo said.

Construction costs, however, ballooned by $900,000 "because of new tariffs, economic instability, and the need for a very short 'Summer Slam' project with double shifts and overtime."

The academy's partner and subtenant, a school-based health clinic, backed out in February "because of the massive upheaval in federal funding, which made building and launching an expensive new clinic too risky."

That triggered a loan reapproval process that saw funding slip away.

One nonprofit lender, "vulnerable because their federal backing came from the Department of Education," dropped their support and left a $2.9 million budget gap.

Two additional nonprofit lenders stepped in, but one "set conditions on their $2 million portion of the loan that would have made us vulnerable to the possibility of running out of funding in the middle of construction." The conditions came "in an attempt to manage new risks in the current uncertain economic environment" for nonprofits.

The academy was unable to negotiate a path forward, and its Governing Board voted April 16 to cancel plans for its August 2025 opening.

"It has been remarkable to witness the dedication and collaboration across all sectors of our regional education ecosystem as we work to redefine the benefits of schools for children and families," Board President Darius Stanton said in the release. "Together, as a community, I am confident we can achieve our vision of transforming high school and education into something truly extraordinary."

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The academy originally planned to open in fall 2024, but last summer's sale of the Annapolis Mall delayed the academy's opening by a year.

New Village Academy then planned to open above The Container Store in time for the 2025-26 school year.

Though the school scrapped those plans, it hinted at a potential future return.

"This has unfolded quickly that we are still considering what our options and next steps will be. We will continue to explore pathways to pursue NVA’s mission and vision of uniting the Annapolis community in launching all our youth into thriving careers, strong character, and active civic engagement," Pittman said in a letter to families. "We are so grateful to our families and community partners for the trust you put in us and for sharing our vision of a new way to do high school with 'Annapolis as our classroom.' We hope you will accept our deepest apologies for the impact of this change on our families and partners."

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