The Magic City Acceptance Academy's charter renewal application has been approved, and the Homewood school received a five-year renewal at a meeting on Wednesday.
School officials were only asked one question about their non-compliance with the state's "Divisive Law," which refers to the state's divisive concepts law. There was a motion to renew the contract for three years, which Charles Knight, a Gov. Kay Ivey appointee, objected to before calling for a full five-year renewal. Despite a pause before the motion was made, no one moved to deny the application.
The commission consists of 13 members. According to state law, the governor appoints four members, the lieutenant governor appoints two members, the president pro tem of the Senate appoints two members, the speaker of the House of Representatives appoints three members, the minority leader of the Senate appoints one member, and the minority leader of the House of Representatives appoints one member.
School administrators told the commission that they had proactively followed the law, a claim disputed by a Charter School Commission staff member, who pointed out that the school had received a letter in March questioning its compliance.
1819 News revealed multiple instances of non-compliance before the March letter.
SEE: Five things to know about Magic City Acceptance Academy as lawmakers review funding
The school's presentation focused on its support for mental health services for students and its plans for growth. They repeatedly mentioned new construction, though the commission has not approved their plan.
No one on the commission questioned the school about its proficiency scores; its English scores have decreased over time, from 61% to 56%, while its math scores have barely moved, up from 15% to 18%.
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