LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - The Arkansas State Board of Education has revoked the charter for the Little Rock Collegiate Charter School for Young Men, shutting the school down.
The Board held a regular meeting Monday with the charter school on the agenda. The board says they will consider the possibility of acting on the school's open-enrollment charter. The board's actions included placing the school on probation, modifying the open-enrollment charter or revoke the charter.
In a press release from the Arkansas Department of Education, they say, "As of Jan. 21, 2011, the schools unrestricted legal balance was a negative $84,946.57. The charter school had additional unrecorded liabilities totaling $95,577.89. Additionally, on July 30, 2010, the school reported an enrollment of 596 students when the actual enrollment on that date was 297."
UCPC School Board Member Ann Hoy is an Arkansas native but currently resides in New York. She says she is disappointed with the board's decision as well as the state's education system.
"The decision was made before we ever walked through the door," said Hoy. "Arkansas does not want charter schools because they take away from the public schools. My question to them is, why can't the public schools get it done?"
Seth Bromeley of the Arkansas Department Of Education says, "According to state law, there is no appeal once the Board of Education has made a decision. The school is closed. They are sending home notices with the children today explaining the decision and which districts their children will have to enroll in. Most live in the LRSD and that district has stated that they will be able to accept them as early as Tuesday."