Russell Wilson-backed charter school to close next month

Why Not You Academy, the beleaguered Russell Wilson-backed charter school in Des Moines, King County, will close next month because declining enrollment made it impossible to stay open.

The school opened in 2021 and once had nearly 200 students in ninth through 12th grade, according to data from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. But only 65 students remained last October, with nine of them in ninth grade, state data showed.

The academy's board unanimously voted to shutter the school in November because it was "chronically and significantly under enrolled," which left it "not financially or operationally viable," according to minutes from its Nov. 21 meeting. Four members approved the measure. One was absent.

The school also had academic challenges: Just 27.3% of students demonstrated foundational grade-level knowledge or above in English language arts last school year, and the four-year graduation rate was 62%. Only 12% attended 90% or more of the school days that year.

This is the eighth public charter school that has closed in Washington since the Legislature allowed the publicly funded but privately run schools in 2016. (A 2012 voter-approved initiative permitting charters was ruled unconstitutional.)

Nearly 4,700 students currently attend 16 charter schools statewide, which operate under five-year renewable contracts. Why Not You Academy's contract ran through September 2026.

Officials at the school did not return multiple requests for comment.

When announcing the decision in November, the school's board issued a statement citing "ongoing enrollment challenges that made it difficult to sustain the school's programs at the scale needed to provide a stable and fully resourced learning environment."

The school has had a tumultuous run since opening during the pandemic, which delayed its start by a year.

In 2024, The Seattle Times reported on a high rate of staff and student exodus amid complaints of a toxic, chaotic environment. Some staff members alleged they'd been asked to teach classes without certification, and there were complaints that students with disabilities had not received legally required services.

Abigail O'Neal, the school's then-CEO, acknowledged the issue in the special education program, but said students later received compensatory services. She challenged some of the other allegations and said that some of the staff left because they didn't share the school's vision.

The Washington State Charter School Commission, one agency that authorizes and oversees the schools, had also flagged financial concerns and the imperative to boost enrollment. The Academy also was under a state corrective action plan to show how it would attract and retain students and stay afloat financially.

Marcus Harden, the commission's executive director, said in an email that the school's board had worked "tirelessly" with the community and the commission, but could not stem the enrollment decline. Harden is a former interim executive director of the school.

When the board voted to close the school, it also approved biweekly office hours to help students and families find schools for the new academic year, job-hunting assistance for staff and "larger end of year bonuses" for team members in good standing, according to the minutes.

"The new/current board has worked with the community, held numerous community meetings, supported every student who stayed (or left) with a transition plan and case managed support to ensure no students are not transitioned smoothly to their next educational space, Harden wrote.

Seniors will graduate next month, he said.

Similar support, including assistance with resume writing, was available to staff, he said.

"While not ideal, this is the promise of the high accountability and high support model of charter schools, and we're proud of the choices that community, students, and board have made since WNYA was opened during COVID," he said.

Former Seahawks quarterback Wilson and his Grammy Award-winning wife, pop star Ciara, announced a $1.65 million donation to the school through their Why Not You Foundation in 2020. The school changed its name from Cascade Midway Academy in honor of the donation.

The Wilsons were not involved in the operations, but they have visited the school and are listed as investors on its website.

The foundation did not respond to requests for comment.

Nina Markham, who worked as a science teacher at the school for two years, said she was sad - but not surprised - to hear the school was closing.

She moved from New Mexico to be one of the school's founding teachers because she was excited about the focus on equity and serving kids whose needs weren't met at traditional public schools. Smaller class sizes also appealed to her, she said.

She liked the "Leaving to Learn" component, which would help students with career exploration, job-shadowing and internship opportunities, and informational interviews.

"There was so much of it that made me so excited," she said. "There were kids that we were able to serve that otherwise would have struggled in a bigger mainstream school."

But the school made some "bad strategic moves with leadership and how it was treating staff and students," she said. The working conditions became unbearable, she said.

"It makes me sad," Markham said. "But part of me is surprised that it went on this long."

This story uses material from The Seattle Times archives.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.