TeNeya Sneed, whose daughter is in the aviation program, said the partnership ended without any notice.
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Students’ dreams of taking flight are facing delays after one parent said a Clayton County high school is going back on its promise.
In 2023, the flight program at Morrow High School partnered with a nonprofit, The Brock Foundation, to help kids become pilots.
“Our goal is to promote initiatives that serve inner-city minority children as it relates to career discovery in aviation,” The Brock Foundation’s website states.
11Alive’s 2023 report featured the partnership that hoped to increase diversity in the aviation industry.
However, TeNeya Sneed, whose daughter is in the program, said the partnership ended without any notice.
Sneed said she moved her family from Las Vegas to metro Atlanta in hopes of fulfilling her daughter’s dream of becoming a pilot.
“I spent my entire savings to move here, and I could have used that money and just pay for training in Las Vegas,” Sneed said.
She said that the kids are now not getting the opportunity to fly.
“The kids will not fly. The kids will not get a license. So, everything that this program was based on is no longer. The only thing that they are really doing is giving the kids the opportunity to take an FAA written exam, and that would be senior year,” Sneed said, noting she was initially told those in the program would get three different licenses. “So I moved here for nothing.”
11Alive reached out to The Brock Foundation, which said it no longer partners with Morrow High School or Clayton County Public Schools.
“Unfortunately, we were never formally notified of this decision, despite our numerous attempts to engage with the district,” The Brock Foundation said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud to have built out the first aviation program at Morrow High School, providing students with hands-on flight experience and a structured pathway into aviation careers. Although we are no longer directly involved, The Brock Foundation remains committed to supporting students. We have continued to forward all available opportunities for Morrow High School students to fly.”
The Brock Foundation said Clayton County Public Schools chose to take “a different approach to aviation education.”
“As aviation experts, we respect their decision, though it diverges from our core mission of ensuring that students graduate with employable, real-world aviation skills,” The Brock Foundation added. “While we are disappointed by the unexpected shift at Morrow High School, we are enthusiastic about expanding our program to new schools to help address the pilot shortage and create more opportunities for students nationwide.”
Sneed said she also can’t seem to get any answers from the district. However, she said Omar Brock, the founder of The Brock Foundation, is helping her daughter out, free of charge.
“At least she’s flying. It’s not as much as we had hoped, but it’s something. Something’s better than nothing,” Sneed said.
Sneed said that she hopes more people will support The Brock Foundation.
“I would love for the community to get behind The Brock Foundation and help him support kids that want to fly. Let’s skip the middle man. Just go straight to The Brock Foundation, send him what you can and get these kids in the air, not just mine, all of them,” she added.
11Alive reached out to Clayton County Public Schools on Tuesday. It responded on Thursday afternoon with the following statement:
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Morrow High School Aviation Program. We appreciate the opportunity to provide clarity and updates on the current status of this exciting initiative.
Morrow High School, in partnership with Middle Georgia State University (MGSU), is currently completing plans to launch an enhanced aviation pathway starting August 2025. This comprehensive program will provide students with career-focused education and training, specifically designed to prepare them for successful careers in aviation, including pathways to becoming commercial pilots.
Under this new structure, professors from MGSU will join our team to deliver rigorous academic instruction and practical training directly at Morrow High School. Students enrolled in the program will benefit from dual enrollment opportunities, enabling them to gain college credits while still in high school. Upon completing these academic components, students will transition seamlessly into MGSU’s in-residence aviation program to complete their flight training and licensure programs.
To address your specific questions:
- Brock Foundation Involvement: The Brock Foundation initially partnered with Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) to support the pilot phase of the Morrow High School Aviation Program. With this successful initial phase complete, CCPS has since developed a more sustainable, college-aligned pathway in direct collaboration with MGSU and potential industry partners, like Delta Airlines.
- Delta Airlines Partnership: The partnership discussions with Delta Airlines are ongoing. We expect an articulated agreement between Delta Airlines and CCPS to be signed soon. We are excited about formalizing this partnership, which will further strengthen the opportunities available to our students.
- Program Funding: CCPS has dedicated and will continue to dedicate resources to ensure the program’s sustainability and success. The district remains fully committed to the program development and implementation across all of its schools and programs.
The Morrow High School leadership and staff remain dedicated to transparency with our students, families, and community stakeholders and will provide regular updates as further details become available.
However, it is not clear what this means for current students who thought they’d be flying this semester.