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San Antonio charter school, The Gathering Place, announced Wednesday night it will close at the end of this academic school year.
The Texas Education Agency had previously denied the charter renewal application for San Antonio charter school The Gathering Place.
The loss of their charter means the school of about 600 elementary students will be required to permanently close at the end of the current school year.
TEA requires charter schools to apply for a new charter after their first five years. If they don’t meet academic and financial requirements, renewal is at the discretion of the education commissioner.
In a letter to parents, The Gathering Place Superintendent Brian Sparks said his school is proud of students’ progress over the past two years. But he said he recognized their results “haven’t yet reached the level our TGP community deserves.”
Sparks said the charter school is also experiencing financial difficulties because enrollment is lower than expected. Some parents have reported negative experiences with the school in recent years.
The Gathering Place opened five years ago with a focus on art, social justice, and project-based learning. The school was subject to controversy last year after the ousted co-founder alleged kids were being kept in closets. TEA later ruled those allegations were unfounded.
The Gathering Place board of directors met Wednesday at 6 p.m. to review TEA’s decision.
The school’s nonrenewal was made at the discretion of Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. In a letter to the school’s leaders, Morath said the decision to not renew their school's charter was because of poor academic performance.
The Gathering Place did have the right to request a meeting with the commissioner to review his decision. TEA gave The Gathering Place until Feb. 14 to request the review.
Their decision last night to not move forward with an appeal now obviates that step.
The school’s board of directors accepted the commissioner’s decision. If the board ratifies the decision, Sparks said The Gathering Place will remain open through the end of the 2024-2025 school year and support students and staff through the transition to new schools and new jobs.
