Canton Charter School Closure Put on Hold by Court Order
State officials cannot move forward with closing SR1 College Preparatory and STEM Academy in Canton for at least another month. On Monday, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge Tametrice Hodges-Linzey granted the school a temporary restraining order against the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, pausing shutdown procedures while a legal appeal moves forward, Mississippi Today reported.
The legal challenge stems from an October 26 vote by the authorizer board to revoke the Canton school’s charter over severe financial mismanagement and low academic performance. This marks the first time Mississippi has attempted to revoke a school charter since the state law took effect in 2013. The board ordered SR1 to cease operations by the end of the year, triggering immediate pushback from school leadership.
Legal Arguments Over Financial Mismanagement and Audits
School attorney Jamie Travis filed the request for a temporary restraining order on October 30 in Hinds County chancery court. Travis argued in court filings that authorizer board members failed to adequately prove financial mismanagement. He contended that the board rushed its decision by holding a revocation hearing in May instead of waiting for the school’s latest financial audit, which was released on October 7. According to Travis, that audit lacked serious findings and would have cleared up concerns regarding the institution’s finances.
Beyond the audit dispute, Travis argued that the authorizer board provided insufficient technical support to charter leaders. He also asserted that the board’s aggressive close-out actions drove away students and staff prematurely before an appeal could be heard in court. WLBT reported that families are set to meet later this week to hear what comes next.
State Regulators and School Officials Clash over Unannounced Visit
Friction between state regulators and school officials intensified following an unannounced visit on October 28. Lisa Karmacharya, the authorizer board’s executive director, arrived at the Canton campus during an internal staff meeting. While Tamu Green, the school’s chief executive officer, opened the door, Travis disputed whether state law permits unannounced on-site inspections by authorizer staff.
Board policy requires close-out procedures to begin within one day of a revocation vote, including securing financial records and notifying parents and staff. However, Karmacharya stated that SR1 officials missed deadlines to provide necessary contact lists for families and employees. School vice president Dorlisa Hutton hung up when contacted for comment by reporters, and Green did not immediately respond to inquiries.
Judge Hodges-Linzey Must Decide Whether to Overturn Revocation
Judge Hodges-Linzey must ultimately decide whether to overturn the revocation. Under Mississippi law, judicial reviews of administrative agency decisions are strictly limited. Travis must prove that the authorizer board’s decision was arbitrary, capricious, unsupported by facts, exceeded the agency’s legal authority, or violated the school’s constitutional rights.
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