May 21, 2008 9:00 pm US/Eastern
Area Private School Closing After 43 Years
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
A prominent private elementary school in West Oak Lane is closing its doors after more than four decades of service.
Ivy Leaf Elementary and Middle School is planning to shut down on June 13.
"Ivy Leaf School has lost a large number of students because of the opening of charter schools," said founder Liller Green. "That is why we made the very difficult decision, after 43 years, to close our doors."
Liller and her husband, William, founded the school in 1965 with a mission of providing an Ivy League education to children.
According to the Green's, the school is the oldest independent African-American school in Philadelphia and one of the largest in the nation. History is displayed on every wall, in every classroom and is one of the reasons closing makes it so difficult.
"It gave them a sense of their own identity, it gave them a sense of the world," said William, adding, "To equip them to go into any society and be leaders."
The Green's said declining enrollment and the predominance of charter schools were a major part of the closure.
The school closes their doors for good on June 13, 2008.
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