White City’s Kids Unlimited Academy Set To Close This Year

WHITE CITY, Ore. — Established last year, Kids Unlimited Academy (KUA) White City- which is based on Medford’s KUA which opened its doors in 2013, will be closing at the end of this year. Insurmountable problems have prompted the decision.

With their motto, “Empowerment through opportunity,” KUA serves children with special needs. Housed in a 5000-square-foot facility on Crater Lake Highway, the school fits under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act- a civil rights law. The goal of the school is to give students with disabilities the support and resources needed for them to be academically successful. Preventing discrimination and protecting the rights of kids with disabilities at school, students must be diagnosed by a doctor or mental health professional with a medical diagnosis that qualifies as a disability.

While their plans aren’t part of special education, or provide individualized instruction, the school offers classes for kindergarten through 2nd grade. Meals are prepared in an industrial kitchen and White City’s KUA boasts a brand-new, outdoor playground with a soft, rubberized ground surface for safe play. The school will close its doors at the end of the 2024 school year as pertinent matters cannot be resolved.

A letter was handed out to families last week confirming that KUA White City has terminated its relationship with the Eagle Point school district because circumstance beyond KUA‘s control made it impossible to expand the school’s ability to accommodate higher grades. The school will not be able to accommodate students beyond the second-grade level. Tom Cole- CEO and Founder of Kids Unlimited, says that as a valuable resource in White City, having to close it is more than disappointing.

Indicating that the KUA White City has a public school charter contract for grades K through 5 that face obstacles like zoning restrictions, land use laws, lack of accessible utilities, and environmental issues, the letter ocnfirms that it has no choice but to close the charter contract. KUA will now be focussing on assisting and supporting families in their transition away from the White City campus, but they have invited  families who want to continue their relationship with KUA to enrol their children at KUA Medford.

Even with a generous donation, KUA‘s hands were tied. Cole confirmed that KUA has presented a donor who planned to make an investment of almost 25 million dollars, but the obstacles were nonetheless not possible to overcome. Land or facility acquisitions through the school district were solicited but they were deemed infeasible by the Eagle Point School District. KUA’s commitment to White City has not dissipated, and the are still looking forward to serving those families in their schools for the 2024-25 school year.

KUA’s Medford campus will however continue to offer academic days that incorporate enrichment programs in the late afternoon that foster creativity, problem-solving and teamwork into the future. Their programs extend to  producing full-length television news programs and musical recordings in their state-of-the-art media studio and training in their graphic arts and print shop to help open better opportunities for their students.

Eagle Point school district has indicated that it was unfortunate that KUA White City was unable to expand as initially intended, but the district does look forward to serving KUA families in their schools in the 2024-25 school year. Tom Cole of KUA has confirmed that there is a dire need in White City, which was their motivation to replicate the Medford model.