For Lodestone Academy, it's been a process to overcome the scandal that another special needs school left behind.
- Classes back in session at Orlando's Lodestone Academy
- The school for autistic children is at capacity
- RELATED:
"It's nice to be back here," said Bobby Nakada, a fifth-grader who returned for fall classes. "The school helps better than the school before this school."
Jordan Brown, meanwhile, bounced from school to school before landing at Lodestone this month. The middle-schooler with autism said he's happy in his classes.
"It's easier to be calmer here and to really just make more friends," he said.
In February, Angels Center for Autism closed amid allegations that people at the top bilked Medicaid of millions. A note, scrawled in black marker and tacked to the door of the Colonial Drive location, sparked fury.
"I think it's unfair to these kids who need this opportunity," said a parent, shuttling her child out of the school.
Maria Navarro, the owner, and an employee stood accused of pocketing $4.5 million from Medicaid, treating themselves to cars and home instead of investing in the needs of their students.
"It left a bunch of folks without a school scrambling," said Josh Pritchard, who runs Lodestone Academy. "We got a bunch of calls saying, 'What do I do?'"
That's when Pritchard's private school, with a second campus on Irma Avenue in Orlando, stepped in to help out displaced students with nowhere to go. Lodestone took over the lease, purchasing much of the furniture and supplies in an effort to minimize disruption to students who are so dependent on routine.
"We opened up the doors and said anybody that was in need could come back in," Pritchard said.
He said he got calls from hesitant — even suspicious — parents following the scandal, but now they've "come past that concern," starting a school year fresh. The majority of students did return; others did not. They were burned by the scandal Angels had stirred.
Pritchard said Lodestone has since worked to gain back parents' trust. They helped students, whose scholarships had been depleted by raising money through a GoFundMe page. By fall, Lodestone had hired new teachers. Enrollment was also at capacity — 50 students between the two campus locations.
"I'm really proud of all the staff we have that are out there doing this," Pritchard said. "All the hard work they put in over the summer, it's coming to fruition now. We've been able to start the fall like we want to, doing our assessments. We've got classrooms going and we know where the kids' needs are and are able to address that."