ROCKLIN-

A notification was sent out to parents and staff Thursday telling them Horizon Charter Schools Rocklin campus would be shut down Tuesday, and the reasons behind it are not too clear.

“The Rocklin campus is shutting down for one reason right now, and that is an urgent safety issue,” said CEO of Horizon Charter Schools, Craig Heimbichner

Heimbichner says that urgent safety issue surrounds safety incidents that have occurred in the parking lot. While that’s the reason the school is using for the closure, students say they haven’t been aware of these incidences.

“No, we’ve just heard. In (an email sent out to students and parents), they said they’ve had a couple incidents with kids being endangered,” sophomore Bree Dirkse said.

This has many wondering if parking lot safety is the real reason for the closure.

“It could be because of the business area as opposed to a high school, there’s a lot more room,  you know, this wasn’t built for schools,” said Bree’s dad, Robert Dirkse.

A parent and a teacher who didn’t want to be quoted echoed that sentiment, saying there was a problem with the nearby businesses that were not warned of how many students would attend the school.

“(The) number of students I’ve heard, that’s apparently a concern,” Dirkse said, continuing, “There’s a lot of kids here, maybe too much for the space.”

Whatever the real reason may be, 400 students will not be able to come back to the campus, instead having to go on independent study.

“I’m upset about it, I just started coming here and getting comfortable and getting used to it, and meeting the teachers,” Bree said.

Another student, freshman Christian Hazlett agreed.

“I’ve been crying all day because I really felt important to this school just has been a part of my life,” Hazlett said.

Parents and students are able to attend a meeting at the school Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. for information going forward.