In a final vote Thursday afternoon, the Montgomery County school board decided to close the county’s only charter school, MECCA Business Learning Institute (MBLI).
The decision, occurring less than a year after MBLI opened, followed concerns first expressed last fall by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) about the charter school’s compliance with special education laws and other issues.
The board voted 6-2 to approve a resolution based on MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s December recommendation that it begin formal proceedings to revoke MBLI’s charter as well as approve a dissolution plan for the charter school. Thursday’s vote was the final decision regarding the school’s closure. Board members Rita Montoya, Laura Stewart, Julie Yang, Karla Silvestre, Natalie Zimmerman and Student Member of the Board Anuva Maloo voted in favor of the resolution…