The ASPIRA school community was told on March 23 its chief executive officer would be “leaving the organization effective today.”

That’s Margie López Waite, an education leader who helped open Delaware’s first dual-language charter school, Las Américas ASPIRA Academy, in 2011. That one-page letter to staff didn’t give a reason for the departure, but school leadership later issued a statement to Delaware Online/The News Journal around 7 p.m., March 24.

“ASPIRA Delaware’s Chief Executive Officer, Margie Lopez Waite, has chosen to retire and pass the leadership to the next generation that will guide us into the future,” Board President Guillermina Gonzalez said. “Yesterday’s letter was intended to be an internal communication to begin that transition and not to be our external statement as the public announcement of her retirement.”

ASPIRA’s board of directors further confirmed a “national search” will begin for the next CEO, while school operations will “continue as normal” under existing leadership. An upcoming board meeting set for 6 p.m. on March 25 also includes mention of a coming “CEO Report” by K-8 Head of School José Avilés Rivera.

The charter school titan – as recognized in on Philadelphia’s “Titan 100” list of CEOs in 2025 – had seen her Newark-area outfit grow from some 300 K-5 students, to more than 1,400 across both the academy and ASPIRA High School. ASPIRA of Delaware, following more than 50 years of vision from its national affiliate, sought to see its schools boost support of Latino youth in the area.

López Waite had taught in the public school, worked as its first principal and later as the chief executive.

“We are grateful to Margie for her contributions to ASPIRA and her commitment to our students, staff and community during her tenure,” the board wrote. “Our priority at this time is to ensure continuity, stability and ongoing support for our students, teachers and families.”

López Waite did not respond to requests for comment by time of publication, nor was she quoted in the board’s letter.

When reached for comment March 24, a spokesperson from the Delaware Department of Education simply said officials “haven’t been briefed.” Kendall Masset, executive director of Delaware Charter Schools Network, indicated the evening’s statement from the school should speak for itself.

ASPIRA’s board said it understands some in its community are left with more questions.

“ASPIRA remains confident in the strength of its leadership team and is fully committed to providing a high-quality educational experience for every student,” Gonzalez said. “We look forward to keeping the community involved as we grow and move forward.”

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ASPIRA expansion, challenges

The former CEO also has been a prominent Latino community advocate, lending her service on the boards and groups like the Redding Consortium, Rodel Foundation, Delaware Charter School Network and Hispanic Commission in Delaware. In 2024, she fell among Delaware Online/The News Journal’s Most Influential Delawareans in Education, as the state continued a shift to see bilingualism as an educational asset.

However, these schools have not avoided issues.

Last spring, eight school buses of students from ASPIRA High were transported to Ogletown Baptist Church after a staff member accidentally fired their gun at the school, as previously reported in April 2025. Delaware State Police described no harm to students, but a bus driver and member of school staff had unintentionally shot himself in the leg.

Also, near the start of last school year, López Waite and her leadership team had faced multiple teachers resigning at once.

Four teachers had resigned around the same time, the then-CEO explained over the phone in October 2024, which can be “very shocking” in a small school community. At the time, she credited that to dissatisfaction with the selection process of the high school’s next head of school, as replacement searches began.

Overall, López Waite had seen boons in her school community.

She saw the first high school class – having grown with the charter, literally – graduate in May 2024. They saw the school grow from a partial warehouse, to two schools with a cafeteria and gym. And to further expand that ASPIRA footprint, a new Las Americas ASPIRA Academy dual-language school is still envisioned down in Georgetown, though it will likely open in 2027, a year later than planned.