A New Castle charter school is in danger of seeing its doors close for good.
Citing serious academic issues, the Delaware Department of Education's Charter School Accountability Committee voted Monday against recommending renewal of Reach Academy for Girls' charter.
If the charter is not renewed, Reach would close at the end of this academic year.
The committee noted student test scores at Reach are among the lowest in the state, with proficiency levels below or far below the standard. Last year, only 25.1 percent of students finished the school year proficient in mathematics and 42.5 percent were rated proficient in English language arts (ELA).
The committee also cited mistakes in school officials’ interpretation of their own student data, raising questions about the ability of Reach leadership to meet student needs.
There is a second public hearing on Reach’s charter at 5pm Wednesday night at Delaware Tech’s Wilmington campus.
Education Secretary Mark Murphy will have a final decision on the school’s fate November 12th at the State Board of Education’s meeting.
Reach, which opened in August 2010, was placed on probation in 2011 because of financial and governance issues. It was removed from probation earlier this year.
