Montgomery County is done with its only charter school

Montgomery County Public Schools leaders sounded the death knell for the district’s only charter school.

In a 6-2 vote Thursday, the MCPS board revoked MECCA Business Learning Institute’s charter, effectively forcing the months-old campus to close at the end of the school year.

The Germantown charter school has struggled with special education compliance, finances and staffing since it opened in the fall.

Charter leaders said in a statement they were “disappointed though not surprised by the Board’s continued action to move forward with the closure of our school.”

Its well-documented woes led to an enrollment nosedive. The school began the year with more than 200 students, but only about 70 remain.

As part of the school dissolution plan, district staff will identify middle school options for the students enrolled at MBLI.

The school’s saga may not be over, with charter leaders saying they will fight through an appeal. They’ve repeatedly defended themselves in front of the school board and sought state intervention.

“The school will continue to represent and defend the interests of its students, families, staff, and the community it serves through all available legal remedies to ensure a fair and lawful outcome,” charter leaders said in a statement.

Board Vice President Brenda Wolff questioned whether the district presented enough evidence to support revoking the charter. She and board President Grace Rivera-Oven were the two votes against revocation.

“I struggle with this as a matter of due process. I really do,” Wolff said.

It would’ve been fair, she added, to give charter leaders a full year to figure out their compliance issues.

Crafting a calendar

Also Thursday, the school board voted on amendments to the academic calendar for the next school year.

After the county got walloped by snow this year, district leaders had to scramble to find makeup days. When they couldn’t, they asked the state board of education to exempt them from holding the required 180 days of class.

State education leaders granted the exemption but told district officials to plan better in the future.

To puzzle together a calendar for the 2026-27 school year, which includes several religious holidays, MCPS officials tweaked designated makeup days and added instructional days.

They decided to start the school year on Aug. 25. The last day will be June 11, barring a snow day.

“There’s no perfect calendar,” Superintendent Thomas Taylor said.