Parents, students rally to save Kitchen Table Academy from closing

POWAY, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) —

by: Jaime Chambers

Posted: Apr 28, 2026 / 11:13 PM PDT

Updated: Apr 28, 2026 / 11:45 PM PDT

Parents and students say the progress is remarkable, and watching the Kitchen Table Academy teach the skills for these adult special education students is undeniable.

“I’m making a lot of new friends, learning new things, and having a lot of fun,” said Nick Imthurn, a former student, now living independently.  

Many of the students have landed new jobs; some are now living independently, and all attribute their successes to the Kitchen Table Academy, a full-service café run by folks dealing with intellectual differences.

But now Poway Unified has decided to shut down the program due to funding issues.

Understanding Neurodiversity

“I was devastated, I just really wanted this program to go on and on,” said JT Bigalow, a student barista.

Parents of these students are now scrambling to find a way to keep the program up for now and for the future students who need a little help transitioning from school to the adult world.

“This isn’t the time to let something like this go, because once it goes, it can never come back,” said Garry McPherson, a retired Poway teacher and father of a student with intellectual disabilities.

“I have grandfathers calling, I have parents showing up at my house asking what are we going to do,” said Toni Kraft, Kitchen Table Academy Teacher and Chef.

FOX 5/KUSI reached out to the Poway Unified School District Tuesday afternoon but have not heard back yet. If there is no change of heart from the district, the program is scheduled to close in June.