A Rockford-based school-dropout recovery program has raised around $60,000 to stay open.
The Lydia Urban Academy is a nonprofit program that helps 14- to 19-year-old students struggling with behavioral, social and learning deficiencies that make it difficult for them to succeed in a traditional school. Normally, Lydia recieves a large portion of its $200,000 annual budget from its parent organization, the Lydia Home Association. However, the association told the Academy that there wasn't enough funding available to support the institution at the same level as in past years.
The school risked shutting down, so its principal launched a public appeal for $40,000. The Rockford Register Star reports that an anonymous donor, via United Way of Rock River Valley, stepped in with $20,000. The school followed suit by raising matching funds. Donations totaled around $60,000.
Lydia typically charges $3,960 in tuition per year. However, the school uses a sliding scale based on family income. This means many students pay only $700 each year.
