Reply #9: Three Broward County charter schools may be given a year to shape up.

[madfloridian]

I know several in our county have been closed or are on the verge of it.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/schools/sfl-charter-school-renewal-b4270sbapr27,0,6947119.story

"It is contract renewal time for four Broward County Click here for restaurant inspection reports charter schools, but three of the new agreements come with this stipulation: You have one year to get your act together or close.

Charter School Institute and Training Center and Imagine at North Lauderdale's elementary and middle schools have academic as well as financial problems, according to school district documents. They've got a June 30, 2010, deadline to fix them.

....Collectively, the three schools are almost $3 million in the red. The North Lauderdale schools failed to follow their state-required plans to fix their money problems — plans put in place in 2006. Charter School Institute didn't pay its payroll taxes on time for two years and was recently evicted from its Hallandale Beach location for not paying rent. The school also has a North Lauderdale location.

Academically, the schools' FCAT scores either have shown inconsistent results or a decline. The North Lauderdale schools failed to meet federal benchmarks in student achievement since 2004-2005 and were deemed in need of improvement. The three schools educate about 615 students from kindergarten to eighth grade. Most of the students come from the neighborhoods along State Road 7. The district says Charter School Institute has other issues, including not knowing if their bus drivers have valid driver's licenses and not complying with federal food regulations.