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Low scores, low graduation, late report caused trouble for Phoenix Charter

The PTAA campus will be located at 8501 Jack Finney Boulevard and 308 Aerobic Lane, in buildings previously used by the Phoenix Charter School, which closed earlier this year.
Brad Kellar
/
Greenville Herald-Banner

One late financial report, two years of low standardized test scores and one year with a low graduation rate all combined to put Phoenix Charter School in Greenville in danger of losing its State of Texas charter, according to publicly available data on the Texas Education Agency website.

Phoenix is among 14 open-enrollment charter schools designated to lose their charter with the state, according to a Dec. 9 release from the Texas Education Agency.

“Phoenix Charter received low academic ratings for two years  . . . and also received a financially substandard rating during one year,” DeEtta Culbertson, a Texas Education Agency spokesperson, said. The subpar academic ratings refer to the 2010-11 and 2013-14 school years, while the low financial accountability rating referred to the 2012-13 year, Culberson said.

The financial problem lies in an annual financial report that was turned in to the state four months late in 2013. The school’s Fiscal Year 2012 report was turned in on May 28, 2013, which was four months past the due date of Jan. 28, 2013, and three months past the end of the one-month grace period that would have allowed to the school to avoid a “Substandard” financial accountability rating.

The school’s Fiscal Year 2012 report was turned in on May 28, 2013, which was four months past the due date of Jan. 28, 2013, and three months past the end of the one-month grace period.
Credit State of Texas
The school’s Fiscal Year 2012 report was turned in on May 28, 2013, which was four months past the due date of Jan. 28, 2013, and three months past the end of the one-month grace period.

The academic problems were identified as a large gap in performance between students from different backgrounds in 2014, along with poor math scores and a low graduation rate in 2011.

In 2014, Phoenix received an “Improvement Required” rating in academic accountability because of a low score in the “Closing Performance Gaps” category. That criterion measures the discrepancy in academic performance between students from different economic circumstances and ethnicities. Using results from that year’s State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness results, the TEA found what it considers a too-large gap between the scores of economically disadvantaged students, African-American students, Hispanic students and other Phoenix students. The school scored 497 out of a possible 2,000 points in that category.

In 2011, the school’s economically disadvantaged students – 56 percent of that year’s enrollment – scored poorly on mathematics section the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The school also had a low completion rate for the Class of 2010, with 13 of 21 students (61.9 percent) graduating. Those two criteria combined to give Phoenix an “Academically Unacceptable” rating for the 2010-2011 school year.

The three “strikes” against Phoenix – the financial one in 2013 and the academic ones in 2011 and 2014 – when combined, give the Texas Education Agency authority to revoke the school’s charter with the state.

Administrators from Phoenix Charter School have until Jan. 12, 2015, to request a hearing on the status of their charter. Should the school request a hearing, the matter would be referred to the state’s Office of Administrative Hearings. The decision of an administrative law judge in such a hearing process is final.

Phoenix Charter School administrators have announced their intent to hold a public meeting on the topic on Monday, Dec. 15.

“In lieu of recent news from TEA and the Herald Banner regarding Phoenix Charter School; we are still open and operating. School will continue as normal. We have decided to appeal TEA's decision and you will receive a letter today regarding our Town Hall Meeting Monday, December 15th 6:30 p.m. @ the Armory. The information will be posted on our website as well. We look forward to seeing you on Monday. We are here to stay,” a statement on the school’s website said.

A photograph of a letter from Phoenix Superintendent Lula Turnipseed to parents was posted to the Greenville Herald-Banner’s Facebook page on Dec. 10.

“We have just received word from TEA pursuing Senate Bill 2 which outlines that any charter school who receives 3-strikes will be considered for revocation. We are in agreement of schools closing if they do not meet standards, however, this is not the case with Phoenix Charter School. We are a quality charter school who has demonstrated academic and financial success,” the letter said.

The letter, dated Dec. 10,  also said that administrators have secured legal counsel and intend to appeal the revocation of the charter.

Senate Bill 2, which was passed into law by the 2013 Texas Legislature, tightened the compliance standards for charter schools.

The Texas Charter Schools Association, the membership of which includes Phoenix Charter School and most Texas charter schools, supported the measure. Texas Charter Schools Association Executive Director David Dunn told The Texas Tribune on Dec. 9 that it was important to close schools that weren't meeting the needs of students. 

However, Dunn also told The Texas Tribune that the Texas Education Agency should "get the implementation of SB 2 right."

"Charter schools not only meet the same accountability of our traditional school counterparts, they are held to a higher standard," Dunn said. "In order to protect the 200,000 public charter school students and families, the charter revocation process must include a fair review.”

Other schools selected for charter revocation include: Academy of Careers and Technologies Charter School (San Antonio); Bay Area Charter School (El Lago and League City); Bright Ideas Charter School (Wichita Falls); City Center Health Careers (San Antonio); Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff (Dallas); Girls & Boys Preparatory Academy (Houston); Henry Ford Academy Alameda School For Art + Design (San Antonio); Higgs, Carter, King Gifted & Talented Charter Academy (San Antonio); Ignite Public Schools and Community Service Centers (Brownsville, Edinburg, Mission, Raymondville, Rio Grande City and Weslaco); Medical Center Charter School (Houston); Northwest Preparatory Academy Charter School (Humble); San Antonio Technology Academy (San Antonio); and Transformative Charter Academy (Killeen).

Founded in 1986, The Phoenix School entered into a charter contract with the State of Texas in 2001.

Mark Haslett has served at KETR since 2013. Since then, the station's news operation has enjoyed an increase in listener engagement and audience metrics, as well recognition in the Texas AP Broadcasters awards.