Roxbury, Mass., Charter School Closed By State

Sep. 15–MALDEN — Despite angry and emotional pleas from parents and school officials, the state Board of Education yesterday voted unanimously to shut a Roxbury charter school at the end of this week and relocate students to other schools.

Officials of the Roxbury Charter High Public School vowed to seek a court order to stay open, but said they would follow the law, which lets the state close failing charter schools, and help the students find new schools, mainly in Boston.

At the board meeting in Malden, parents and school officials urged the state to grant the school a reprieve. Classes have already started, they said, and about 90 students are enrolled.

But state board members said the school had too many management and financial problems to continue. The vote yesterday capped a fight over the school that began in December, when the board first voted to close it. The school appealed and lost, but opened this month because the state board had not taken a final vote on the matter. The Roxbury school is the second charter school the board voted to close this year.

Henry M. Thomas, a state board member who initially opposed closing the school, said yesterday that he changed his mind. He said he was concerned about the school’s academic performance, including its failure last year to teach special education students.

“There are some things that are really inexcusable,” Thomas said.

But parents and school officials said the school has hired new teachers and a new principal, and has raised money to help overcome a $200,000 deficit. Bill Owens, a former state senator and the chairman of the charter school’s board, said he would mortgage his house to keep the school afloat.

“I am not a fool,” Owens said. “I would not put my house on the line if I didn’t believe that we could make this school work.”

One parent was so upset that she interrupted the board meeting and demanded to speak.

Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll said the state could do a better job helping charter schools.

“We’re hoping to learn from this school and the other school to see what we need to do,” Driscoll said.

Charter schools are independently run public schools that have more freedom over their curriculum and budgets than regular public schools.

Roxbury charter school students who want to enroll in Boston public schools may call the School Department’s hotline at 617-635-9046.

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