SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Elbert Betts — who says he established a Back to School and Stay in School program with District 186 and the Springfield NAACP 50 years ago — is mad.

“You voted to drop the Back to School and Stay in School program, and I don’t know why,” Betts told the District 186 Board Tuesday night.  “Some of you have supported me, and some of you have supported the program, because you usually come to the graduation.”

In reality, District 186 Superintendent Terrance Jordan says, the contract had to be cancelled because the post-expulsion alternative education program is being transferred to “The Outlet.”

“We still do have a Back to School and Stay in School program.  It’s not under the NAACP anymore.  It’s under The Outlet.  The NAACP was part of that whole process,” said Jordan, on the WTAX Morning Newswatch Wednesday morning.

WTAX and CapitolCityNow.com reported on the transfer to “The Outlet” in June, where Jordan said the district would make a scholarship available to the program in Betts’ name.

“The most important thing to understand about our vision is that we are launching a program, and not a school.  May I repeat, this is not a school,” said Mike Phelon, founder, The Outlet, during a presentation to the school board in June.  “In this model, students remain enrolled in District 186 to complete their coursework, in our classroom or online, but in our building.”

“I’ve tried to give you my best, but I’m going to say to you I’m highly, highly disappointed that you didn’t have enough respect to keep that program going,” said Betts, “and to come in and say to those teachers who have been very faithful to you and to this district…If I were to ask you the question where the program started, and why it started, and when it started, none of you can answer that.”

Jordan reiterated on WTAX that the program is, indeed, still going.

“Over the years…(Betts) retired.  And I don’t think he was as involved in the day to day operations of the program, and the direction that the NAACP wanted to go with the program.  So, it may have caught him off guard,” said Jordan.  “I sat down with Mr. Betts, and explained all this to him before we even decided to move forward with it.”

Betts said Tuesday night he was coming out of retirement to address this issue, and was inclined to take the matter all the way to the national NAACP organization, if needed.

Jordan, meanwhile, says he’ll talk to Betts again, thinking it may be a big misunderstanding.