Judge backs Osceola County in dispute with American Classical Charter Academy
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - An administrative law judge Friday upheld a decision by the Osceola County School Board to terminate a contract with a charter school, citing issues such as a large number of uncertified teachers and not properly providing exceptional-student education services.
Judge Lynne Quimby-Pennock issued a 65-page order backing the school board in the dispute with American Classical Charter Academy. The school board voted April 5 to terminate the contract, prompting the charter school to take the case to the state Division of Administrative Hearings.
"The clear and convincing evidence demonstrates that the school board had sufficient basis to move for the termination of ACCA’s (American Classical Charter Academy’s) charter pursuant (to a section of state law)," Quimby-Pennock wrote.
As examples of the issues in the case, the judge wrote that only 10 of the school’s 28 teachers were certified and that students were not properly provided exceptional-student education services "because there was no certified ESE teacher providing instruction on campus for August and most of September 2021." Charter schools are public schools but are typically run by private organizations.