Santa Teresa charter school fights to remain open

The school of choice for 200 Santa Teresa students will be shut down for a minimum of two years, unless Health Sciences Academy wins its appeal.

HSA applied for a new charter when theirs was revoked this June, but missed the January deadline, meaning the school will need to reapply in 2016, for the 2016-2017 school year. In the meantime parents of HSA students will prepare their appeal, and try to convince the New Mexico Public Education Commission the school deserves a second chance.

“I believe that 80-85 percent of the students were bullied in the traditional school system,” said parent Juan Acevedo. “But here at this school they were flourishing.”

According to HSA parent Juan Acevedo, the POE had the final say on whether Health Sciences Academy would survive the mistakes of its former governing board, mistakes that include:
– fraudulent enrollment
– mismanaged student files
– false reimbursements
– financial conflicts of interest

The Commission visited the school in March and by April the school, working with the Public Education Department had identified the issues and corrected them.

“We took out the people that needed to go out,” Acevedo said.

But by June, in a 5-4 vote the commission revoked its charter, Commissioner Jeff Carr saying at the meeting, “I’m looking at the few that may be harmed by revocation, but the many that will be helped by the fact that we are holding high standards here.”

Commissioner Vince Bergman said, “I think in total , we cannot ignore what’s gone on here. And I can’t think we can say to other charter schools, we’ll overlook what you’ve done if you promise to fix it. I just don’t think we can do that.”

“They already created a precedent,” Acevedo said, referring to Albuquerque’s Southwest Secondary Learning Center, which last summer was raided by the FBI for millions in financial mismanagement, yet still remains open.

Acevedo said that charter school got its second chance, and the 200 students in Santa Teresa deserve theirs.

“I get calls from parents saying what’s going to happen with my son, I thought the school was going to be open and he was going to start seventh grade this coming year,” Acevedo said. “And you know, they never got a second chance.”

That’s the case the school will be bringing before the commissioners again,as it appeals their decision.If they win the appeal, the school can open next school year,if they lose, students will have to wait two years before a new charter can be approved.