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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The state has closed an Austin charter school that worked with students who dropped out of high school or were risk for doing so.
A judge with the State Office of Administrative Hearings on Friday upheld the state's decision to revoke the charter of American YouthWorks because it failed to meet standards, the Austin American-Statesman (http://bit.ly/VM7w3e ) reported. The school will no longer be accredited nor receive state funding.
The Texas Education Agency took action against American YouthWorks late last year under the state's new "three strikes and you're out" rule. Senate Bill 2, which went into effect in September, requires the state to pull a school's charter if it fails to meet financial or academic standards three years in a row.
American YouthWorks is the third school to lose its appeal with the state hearing office, the others being Honors Academy in Dallas and Azleway Charter School in Tyler.
American YouthWorks failed to meet academic and financial standards in 2010-11 and financial standards in the two following school years. The school has been faulted for not having its money in the right type of bank account, having poor academic performance for a year and submitting a paper copy of a state-required audit two days late, among other issues.
American YouthWorks officials have pointed out that all their strikes happened before the law passed, and that this year the school met academic and financial standards.
Parc Smith, chief executive officer for American YouthWorks, called the ruling "a travesty." Attorneys for American YouthWorks have said that they will try to have the case reheard in Travis County district court.
State officials have said the law is clear and they had no choice but to close the school.
Paul Keeper, a judge with the state hearing office, said in his ruling Friday that the education agency was not unreasonable nor did it make a mistake in revoking the school's charter.
The education agency said it was just following the law.
"We always hope each new charter school will be successful," education agency spokeswoman Debbie Ratcliffe said.
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Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com
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