HOLYOKE — Curtis Blake Day School, a 45-year-old program that has been located at 1913 Northampton St. since March 2022, will close at the end of the academic year.
The announcement was made Thursday by the Positive Regard Network, which has partnered with the K-8 school that provides instruction to students with language-based learning disabilities and services for students requiring specialized reading instruction and
language-based programming.
The decision to close was based on a decline in the number of students referred out of districts for the specialized programming. The school had previously been at risk of closure, also due to low enrollment, at the end of 2021.
“The Curtis Blake Day School recognizes the significant impact this closure will have on students, families, staff and the broader community,” the organization wrote. “Curtis Blake Day School has played an important role in the community, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of its history.”
Families will be assisted with transition planning, including placement support, records transfer and access to additional resources, and more detailed information regarding timelines, resources and next steps are expected to be provided in the coming weeks to both families and the districts which send students to Curtis Blake.
Curtis Blake Day School was first affiliated with American International College in Springfield, through an endowment from Friendly Ice Cream co-founder Curtis Blake, and was later shifted to the campus of the Children’s Study Home, also in Springfield. The school relocated to Holyoke, as part of the Center School campus, through the partnership with Positive Regard Network.