Regents vote allows charter to remain open through school year

The Manhattan charter school the city wants to close for poor performance will remain open at least through the end of this school year.

Yesterday, the Board of Regents voted to extend the charter of Ross Global Academy until June 30.  The move — made on the recommendation of Deputy Commissioner John King, following the wishes of the city — was made to avoid a mid-year school closure after the school’s original five-year charter expired on Sunday.

The extension also gives the school more time to fight its closure. City officials recommended last month that the state not renew the school’s charter, citing problems such as low academic performance and high teacher turnover. In response, the school sued the city, arguing that the city’s recommendation violated state law and its own protocol.

The city and state have refused to renew schools’ charters in the past, but the fight over Ross Global has drawn particular attention because of the lawsuit, which marks the first time a charter has challenged its renewal decision in court.