EDITORIAL: There is only one option: Close MCA

Contrary to the plans that have been put forth to save Macon Charter Academy, the Bibb system's second charter school, there is only one real option. The Bibb County Board of Education that authorized MCA has heard one option from a school-turnaround specialist, Renaissance School Services, and another from the MCA board that involved former assistant superintendent Ed Judie. The Renaissance plan presented to the Bibb board will cost in the area of $400,000 — money the school said it doesn't have. Renaissance says they now may be able to squeeze the money out of the school's budget, but our question is, at what expense? There is only one answer. Since the school's only income is the per student allotment of state and local tax money, what will the students at MCA have to give up to pay the bill? Will it be small and manageable class sizes? Will it be paraprofessionals in the classrooms? Will already underpaid teachers have to take a cut? Something will have to give.

Would the alternative plan presented by the MCA board have worked? Hard to say, but what is known is that the MCA board has little trust in the state Department of Education and feels it was the state board's recommendations that led to the present debacle. Faced with a state board's charter school committee meeting Thursday, the MCA board was up against a hard deadline, and parents pushed the board to give Renaissance a try, feeling it would give the school some leverage to remain open.

Charter schools inspire parental involvement and loyalty, but it is unfortunate that this school cannot deliver as promised. Whether it be the state board or the Bibb board, the only consideration worth talking about is the education for the 500-plus students attending MCA. Those students should be absorbed back into their home schools where their needs can be adequately met and their education can continue. To be clear, that means closing the school going into the Christmas holidays. The Bibb school administration will need to work quickly so parents can be notified where their children will attend next semester, class schedules, bus routes, etc. To do otherwise will only postpone the inevitable and further place the students in educational jeopardy.

While there have been many victims in this tragedy — the founders, teachers, other personnel — the ones we cannot lose are the children who may already be behind. None of the boards of governance involved — local, state or MCA's — should allow them to slip any further behind.

This story was originally published December 10, 2015 at 10:11 PM with the headline "EDITORIAL: There is only one option: Close MCA ."