Analysis: Charter board could face school closure decision

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — If you thought opening charter schools was a tough task in Mississippi, wait until state officials start considering whether to close them.

The state's Charter School Authorizer Board could have to make that decision in coming months, as Mississippi's first two charter schools complete their initial five-year contracts.

Reimagine Prep and Midtown Public Charter School, which both serve students in grades 5-8 in Jackson, will see their contracts expire in mid-2020, with votes on continuing due by May at the latest.

The charter school board is only now laying the groundwork for handling renewals. The board last week voted to seek public comment on rules about renewing or closing schools, with the board likely to give final approval in September. Before the end of that month, the board must, by law, issue a charter school performance report and renewal application guidance to Reimagine and Midtown.

Midtown is in particular peril, having been again rated an F last year. If the school again rates F when grades are released this fall for the school year that ended in May, there will be no more discussion. State law doesn't allow the board to renew the charter of an F-rated school.

Reimagine rated a C last year, and it's likely that if the school maintains or improves on that rating, that it won't have much trouble being renewed.

But if either school comes back a D, that's where things could get tricky.

The state's performance frameworks say a D-rated school can be renewed, but only for up to three years, instead of the normal maximum of five years. But the board could also reject a renewal if members find academic progress has been poor. The performance framework says for a D-rated to be renewed, it must "demonstrate evidence of significant growth...