The Alabama Charter School Commission met last Monday with its two newest members, State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur) and Terry Lathan, hearing five new charter school applications and four contract amendments.
Magic City Acceptance Academy's (MCAA) campus expansion proposal — including moving its theatre, band room, and an expanded "mental health clinic" with "social workers" into a second location — was among the items considered.
The MCAA presentation began with a clarification from commission staff: while the school's application included increased enrollment numbers, the commission had already approved the increased number of students allowed when it renewed the contract.
A review of the new contract shows that, even though the commission and staff had, or should have had, evidence of declining enrollment, the school was given an ambitious, if not unattainable, maximum enrollment. By the end of the new 5-year contract, the school will be allowed to serve up to 575 students. This number is higher than the school told the Homewood City Council it would be at the time of the rezoning for its proposed second building.
The current enrollment is 285, after months of decline, according to the board meeting minutes.
The new enrollment numbers do not include minimums.
The request before the board on Monday was to allow the school to expand into two floors of the 3-story building next door to its current campus.
The commission staff recommended denying the application due to the school's declining enrollment.
A representative from the school disputed 1819 News' reporting that they had told the City of Homewood in earlier meetings who would be housed on the first floor of the new building.
When Commissioner Lathan confronted them with their own words, noting that she had watched the prior council meetings herself, the school said that plans had changed.
The representative did not, at any point between the story's publication and the meeting, attempt to contact 1819 News directly, nor did they return a call requesting the opportunity to discuss the Homewood meetings and how they differed from the new application made before the story was published.
The school argued that, despite declining enrollment and a financial situation that does not allow it to be self-sufficient, it should be approved because the Birmingham AIDS Outreach would supplement its funds.
The vote was unanimous against the expansion.
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