Montgomery County might close its only charter school over special ed violations

Montgomery County is threatening to close its only charter school for failing to properly document special education needs.

The Montgomery County Board of Education has pledged to vote soon on a recommendation from district officials to revoke the charter of Mecca Business Learning Institute, a middle school in Germantown that opened in August.

“The Montgomery County Board of Education needs time to review and consider additional documentation requested from MBLI at its last meeting,” Edith Lozada Salgado, spokeswoman for the school board, said in an emailed statement.

She added that “a vote date has not yet been determined” as the board reviews material it requested from school officials who testified at the Jan. 9 meeting.

Charter schools are independently managed public schools that operate under state laws. Maryland authorized them in 2003.

Serving more than 160,000 students, Montgomery County Public Schools’ district is Maryland’s largest.

A page on the school district website describes Mecca as “Maryland’s first business-focused public charter school,” with a focus on teaching job market skills.

Mecca opened at a temporary Bethesda campus in August with 186 students, fewer than the 250 it expected.

Administrators say enrollment dropped to 95 students as they struggled to provide busing before moving to their permanent Germantown campus last month. They have since ceased offering transportation as they prioritize funds to add a high school division.

McKenzie Allen, executive director of the Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools, noted that Montgomery County school board members voted to deny Mecca’s charter before a state appeal forced them to grant it in 2023.

She said her advocacy group is lobbying state officials to investigate the district’s decision last fall to withhold federal special education funds and penalize Mecca for hiccups in enforcing related policies.

“I think different is being perceived as scary and threatening,” Ms. Allen said this week. “And I feel that’s where the superintendent, board and staff are. They’re standing in a space of bias, threat and dislike for the charter school and its operator.”

She said the district has penalized, harassed and “publicly shamed” the Black-led school because it “just won’t go away.”

Mecca administrators did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Campus leaders testified at the Jan. 8 board meeting that district officials recommended closing their school in December, despite providing no reasonable way to address the concerns.

Shiree Slade, Mecca’s principal, urged the school board to provide “due process” before making a decision.

“Students are making progress and showing up with confidence, stability and growth,” Ms. Slade told the board. “I’m here to bear witness to that progress, because our students are the beneficiaries of the great work taking place, and they deserve the time to continue.”

Jansen Hedlund, a veteran public special education teacher who serves as Mecca’s school resource officer, said the district first shared specific concerns in a Nov. 7 written notice, less than three months into Mecca’s first semester.

She insisted that district officials made no effort to verify the violations, provide federal special education funds or hold formal meetings with administrators before recommending closure.

“There is no documented finding that MBLI denied students access to education or failed to provide services on a schoolwide basis,” Ms. Hedlund said.

Mecca officials say the county flagged “compliance gaps” in how they documented individualized education plans that students brought from their previous schools.

They said the district’s push to close the campus before working with administrators violated state laws that require clear expectations and access to public funding.

“The record reflects escalation occurring without consistent acknowledgment of MBLI’s documented responses and corrective actions,” said Tracey Cooper, Mecca’s chief academic officer.

Several school board members questioned Mecca’s leaders about their operations.

School administrators told Rita Montoya, an at-large member of the board, that they already have 300 applications for the fall semester from students enrolled in traditional district campuses.

Other board members requested additional special education documentation and an explanation of Mecca’s plan for sustaining enrollment over the next six months.

“Another follow-up that I’d like to see is your financial plan for the rest of the year,” said Karla Silvestre, an at-large board member.