PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Valley Forge Military Academy (VFMA) in Wayne has announced that part of the school will close sooner than originally expected.
In September, the academy — a private college prep school for boys in grades seven through 12 — said it would continue to operate through May 30, 2026, culminating in the graduation of the 98th Corps of Cadets. Now, the school will close next week, on Friday, Nov. 21, for all students except seniors.
In a letter shared with parents, VFMA Chair Gray Beck cited low enrollment and staffing issues as reasons for the closure.
The school said that undergraduate students will get back any prepaid tuition for semesters after the fall, but some parents, like Samiha Ortiz-Rivera, say the situation has caused damage that can’t be fixed with a refund.
“My son, he relied on scholarships,” a tearful Ortiz-Rivera told our newsgathering partners at NBC10. “We can't get it back. They're done. As much as I have tried my hardest to keep him out of public school, especially the Philadelphia School District, I'm left with no options. Nothing."
The school, which has been around for nearly 100 years, plans to work with the displaced cadets to help them find their next steps once the school shuts down.
The military academy's college, which shares the same campus, is not closing.