On March 31st of this year, the Buffalo Board of Education announced they will not renew the charter for Westminster Community Charter School when it expires on June 30, 2021. Their decision was unexpected and shocking to parents, staff, and students. Before converting to a charter school, WCCS used to be one of the lowest performing schools in the district. Since their partnership with M&T Bank and the Buffalo Promise Neighborhood, WCCS has helped some 2000 students graduate with nearly 70 percent going on to attend some of the best public and private high schools. Over the years WCCS has provided medical, dental, and mental health care; backpack programs; after-school tutoring; music and theater clubs; Saturday Academy; nutrition and health services with the support of our own garden; referrals to social service agencies; provided parents with financial coaching; resume writing; housing, career, and skill building support. This school serves entire families.  When schools closed due to Covid, WCCS provided thousands of delicious meals for students, families and the community.  Westminster Community Charter School has proven to be a beacon of hope and light for families who now are just trying to survive the pandemic.  To say the closing or converting of this school would negatively affect an entire community would be an understatement.  In addition, families would navigate the stress of scrambling to find adequate education for their children. Some schools that parents would consider sending their children to may have already passed the application/testing deadline. Many parents choose to send their children to WCCS  because it is a charter school.  Amid this global pandemic, meaningful student growth has been achieved in both Reading and Math based on Renaissance STAR Benchmarks.  However, this decision was based on test results from two years ago!  Thousands of Buffalo residents and teachers are now in fear of the future of their school, jobs, and homes. Westminster Community Charter school does not deserve to be closed or converted. They deserve to remain open and continue their mission of serving families. It is essential to the survival of an entire community and progress that has already been made. We need the full weight of the public to sign this petition and get this decision reversed.