PAWHUSKA, Okla. — Teachers and families are searching for a path forward after the Osage Nation announced the immediate closure of Daposka Ahnkodapi just days before students were scheduled to return.
The school year was set to begin Aug. 13. Teacher Tina Burruss-Townley said she was preparing to welcome students back when she learned Wednesday that the school would not reopen.
“We are just heartbroken right now,” Burruss-Townley said.
Burruss-Townley said she joined other teachers and concerned parents who met with Principal Chief Joe Tillman after hearing the announcement. She said the group wanted school leaders to hear how the decision would affect employees, students and families.
WATCH: Osage Nation school closure leaves teachers and families searching for answers
“We weren’t able to change his mind, and I knew that we would not be able to, but I wanted our parents and our faculty to be heard,” Burruss-Townley said.
The Osage Nation said the school costs more than $3 million each year to operate and needs significant security improvements. The Nation also announced the closures of the Osage Nation Harvest Land Farm and the Welcome Center as part of broader budget reductions.
The Nation said younger students and some teachers will transition to another early learning academy. Burruss-Townley said the timing of the announcement left teachers and staff searching for jobs and families trying to find new schools shortly before the start of the academic year.
She said teachers and parents wanted more time to explore whether they could raise money or find another option to keep the school open.
Daposka Ahnkodapi also provided students with instruction in Osage culture and language. Burruss-Townley said the school’s small size created close relationships between teachers, students and their families.
“We are doing everything that we can to find a way to move forward and give our kids their culture and the language in the same manner that we did at Daposka,” Burruss-Townley said.
2 News Oklahoma called the Osage Nation’s public communications officer and left a voicemail. 2 News also went to the Welcome Center seeking additional information but was told the principal chief was unavailable.
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