The school board delivered another blow to Montgomery County’s only charter, but its fate isn’t sealed.

Board members voted Thursday night to move forward with revoking the MECCA Business Learning Institute’s charter, which would effectively force the campus’ closure at the end of the school year.

Superintendent Thomas Taylor has described pervasive and persistent problems at the months-old campus, arguing it should close because of special education violations, financial issues and privacy breaches.

But the charter’s leaders have until March 30 to respond to the district’s decision, demonstrate they’ve fixed their problems and comply with special education law.

“This still gives the school a chance,” board member Laura Stewart said.

Families and charter leaders aren’t celebrating. They’re worried the uncertainty will further erode enrollment and don’t feel the district has been clear about the goals the school must achieve by spring.

“It’s a moving target,” said Princess Lyles, a communications consultant working with the school.

A contentious vote

After emotional debate, a divided school board approved Taylor’s recommendation to revoke the charter, deeming it “necessary to protect the educational rights and welfare of MECCA Business Learning Institute students.”

The school had planned for 250 kids. Only about 80 middle schoolers remain enrolled at the Germantown campus, district officials said.

If nothing changes after the March deadline, the charter will end June 30. Taylor will have to present a “dissolution plan” to the board by April 30, which would include new campus assignments for the remaining students.

“Of course, something we’re sensitive to is making sure all of our students are cared for, but especially our students with disabilities, since that’s the area of noncompliance,” Taylor said after the meeting,

The MECCA Business Learning Institute struggled during its first months of operation, but families of children still enrolled say it deserves more time. They were drawn to the school’s promise of a career-focused academy that would teach financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

“Closing the school after only four months, just as it successfully moved into a permanent home, is a premature response to startup challenges,” a student told the board in a video that played before the vote.

Board Vice President Brenda Wolff tried to convince her colleagues to give the charter school additional months to improve.

She said the March 30 deadline wasn’t reasonable, adding that traditional public schools often get more time and support when they’re facing challenges.

Wolff didn’t secure enough support. She was backed only by board President Grace Rivera-Oven and the eight-member board’s student member.

“This is just a bunch of bull,” Wolff said, prompting a standing ovation from the MBLI parents.

Board member Rita Montoya defended her position to move ahead with revocation, saying she worried about children at MBLI getting the education they deserve. She cited staffing issues triggered by the nosediving enrollment and the dearth of books she saw during a campus visit.

“I know how hard you have worked,” she said to the audience of school families and leaders. “We also have to know when to close, when it’s not working out and when the impact can be negative on the people that we are trying to serve.”

The charter’s leaders appear ready to defend the school. They filed a petition to the Maryland State Board of Education asking for an impartial review.

Charter advocates across the state will be watching how the fight plays out. They view MBLI’s future as a statement on whether charters are welcome in Maryland’s largest school district.

“Charter schools operate under an agreement and operate under a different set of rules,” Taylor said. “If those rules are not to somebody’s liking, then please don’t sign an agreement that says that you’re OK with that.”