Macon Charter Academy faces closure, officials say

Macon Charter Academy's existence beyond its first school year will depend on actions taken in the next week.

Lou Erste, an associate state superintendent who oversees charter schools, provided a timeline for MCA's next steps in an email Monday, which he sent to the school's governing board late last week. MCA is required to turn in a plan to the state by Feb. 8 that would have the school working with "turnaround management" by Feb. 29.

That comes after the Bibb County school board rejected the school's request for a charter amendment that would have allowed the school to contract with an educational services provider, specifically Renaissance School Services.

"We also let them know that the Department will work with the Bibb County Schools to complete by February 15, 2016, an assessment of the viability of the plan submitted by MCA and, if the plan is not viable, to immediately begin assisting Bibb County Schools with the petition to terminate the Macon Charter Academy charter effective June 30, 2016," Erste wrote.

That's something of a mixed signal, Bibb County school Superintendent Curtis Jones said. He pointed to media reports as recently as last week that Erste had praised the MCA governing board's work, which left Bibb County school board members between a "rock and a hard place," based on their understanding of the situation.

"Now it seems like that opinion may have changed," Jones said.

He also pointed to the tight deadline under which the MCA board has to act.

"They're not going to rubber-stamp; they're trying to understand," he said.

Erste had supported the school as it changed governing boards in December. The current board, led by chairman Ed Grant, stepped in after the entire previous board resigned within a five-day period.

Grant said Monday that he didn't think the new board -- which he said had done an "awesome job" to this point -- would have an issue meeting upcoming deadlines.

"I don't really see a problem with it," he said. "It's what they've been asking for the whole time."

Tony Roberts, president of the Georgia Charter Schools Association, said the organization -- which severed ties with the school at one point -- has shown MCA "tough love," but has trained three different governing boards in less than a year.

He also described the association's urging of the use of an educational services provider as a "rare instance" but saw that as a necessary move to keep the school afloat.

"We regret that the Bibb County school board has not seen fit to approve their request for a charter amendment to make this possible," Roberts wrote. "We believe that this decision effectively dooms the school to failure and closure."

Roberts criticized the Bibb school board and MCA concerns about the $400,000 fee associated with working with Renaissance. The school had entered an agreement with Renaissance, and the organization had even begun assessment and some work on MCA's campus, but the price tag was always a concern.

Roberts said that MCA could have "risen above its challenges" with Renaissance's help, but he reiterated that the school board's decision would likely result in the school's closing, with students returning to their zoned schools.

"We are almost certain now that the school does not have a future due to that one Bibb board vote," said Roberts, who noted that the GCSA would continue to advise and assist the school. "The parents and students of Macon Charter Academy deserve better."

The Georgia Department of Education had also recommended the services of an "aggressive turnaround expert" such as Renaissance earlier in the school year.

The charter school opened in August but soon met trouble. Its building wasn't available for the first three weeks of class, and students gathered in the Macon Coliseum instead. The state put the school on probation in September due to operational and financial issues brought to light during visits by state and local officials.

Despite Roberts' ominous assessment, Grant said he's appreciated the support the school has received from the GCSA, the state education department and the Bibb County school board.

"I'm very optimistic about Macon Charter and its future," Grant said.

While Jones noted that the MCA board was working hard to address the state's requirements, the circumstances were far from ideal.

"My assessment is that it is serious," he said.

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Macon Charter Academy faces closure, officials say ."