The Academy at Morgan’s Wonderland and the Bridge at Morgan’s Wonderland, two schools connected to the park designed with special emphasis on accessibility, will close at the end of this school year.
The current school semester ends in June. Parents and families were notified of the school’s closure on Tuesday.
A representative for Morgan’s Wonderland said the board of CARE, Inc., the nonprofit that oversees the schools, is in the midst of intensive planning for a new endeavor that will open in place of the schools.
“After exhaustive study, [the board] determined it would be in the best interest right now to cease operations at the Academy at Morgan’s Wonderland and the Bridge at Morgan’s Wonderland,” said Bob McCullough, director of communications. “Plans are being formulated for a brand new venture that will literally assist thousands of individuals with special needs.”
McCullough wouldn’t disclose what the new venture will be but said it “has not been attempted anywhere else in the United States or in the world, for that matter.”
No further details were available.
The Academy opened in August 2011 to serve students with special needs. It serves students ages 12 to 24. The Bridge works with the Academy as a transition program to help young adults prepare for life after graduation. It focuses on vocational and daily living skills alongside “functional academics,” according to the school’s website.
Combined, the Bridge and the Academy currently serve about 30 students and employ 15 faculty and staff members.
Both schools are located next to the “ultra-accessible” theme park founded by local philanthropist Gordon Hartman, whose The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation has pursued endeavors benefiting the special-needs community since 2005. Morgan’s Inspiration Island, a water park designed to accommodate those with cognitive and physical disabilities, opened in 2017.
