A private all-girls academy in Massachusetts promised a nurturing education rooted in community. But when it abruptly closed, students were left without a school and teachers without paychecks and promised benefits, they say.

The Academy at Penguin Hall abruptly shut down in June, and its president and board filed for bankruptcy in the same week. The school collapsed under $26 million in debt, according to court documents.

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By then, most families had already paid the roughly $46,000 in tuition for the upcoming school year.

"This money wasn't easy for us to part with. We're not a family that can write a $46,000 check," said Richmond Dawson, a parent of a former student.

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