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Presenting a final report and an overview of the Queen Anne’s County Public Schools Charter School Application Review Committee process, charter school liaison and supervisor of instruction Micheal Bell said the committee recommended denial of the Queen Anne’s County Classical Charter School application Sept. 3, “due to significant and substantiated deficiencies in academic planning, operational capacity, and demonstrated need.�

According to Bell, “the application lacked evidence of innovation, financial and governance readiness, and failed to articulate how it would meet the diverse needs of Queen Anne’s County students.�

The extensive review process is aligned with Maryland Charter Law, the Code of Maryland Regulations, and precedents established through the Maryland State Board of Education guidance, he said.

Noting the district had not received the in-depth responses necessary, Interim Superintendent Matthew Kibler’s recommendation mirrored the Committees citing “major gaps remained despite multiple opportunities to cure deficiencies,� including: insufficient evidence of operational readiness, staffing, and facility acquisition planning; a pre-K program plan that is not feasible without Maryland Accreditation and EXCELS Level 4 status; financial assumptions that lack contingency planning for enrollment shortfalls, grant delays, or facility overruns; limited and underdeveloped plans for serving students with disabilities, English learners, and other student groups and an instructional program that remains underdeveloped and not adequately aligned with Maryland College and Career Ready Standards.

The committee acknowledged the charter school’s group enthusiasm for the classical charter model, timely responsiveness in communication, and a strong commitment to the idea of school choice, Bell said.

“But the team also noted authorizing a charter school is not simply about approving an idea, it’s about assuming full responsibility for students, staff, and the community under our umbrella,� Bell said, a level of responsibility that requires readiness, compliance, and sustainability, “none of which were determined to be sufficiently demonstrated within their application.�

Following the turbulent meeting Sept. 3 filled with heated discussions in the face of the application’s proposed denial, the Queen Anne’s County Classical Charter School group returned to the Board Sept 10. to present answer questions and allow for an in depth application review for the Board’s decision.

Lead by a Board of Directors with expertise of former teachers and education professionals, the motivation to establish the classical charter school arose to provide options to parents and enhance the current system upon seeing current dropping proficiency rates, founder Audrey Scott said.

Charter Committee Board of Directors President Ashley MacLeay noted that although seeking autonomy through waivers, the proposed classical charter school would ultimately be a public school part of the QACPS system that the Board of Education would oversee.

Student enrollment would be based on a lottery system.

The charter committee claimed it was not afforded opportunities for collaboration and was provided little assistance in certain application aspects, like identifying facilities.

If approved by the Board of Education, the charter school would continually seek collaboration with QACPS in establishing a charter agreement, as “one holistic school system,� she said.

To start, the charter school would need six teachers and has already received far more resumes than that of interested teachers, Scott said.

The group claimed interest has been overwhelmingly positive from the community including partners like the Giving the Edge Foundation and letters of support from the Queen Anne’s County Commissioners.

While not initiated yet, the committee received support from the county to direct mail to every county home to serve as a first general introduction to parents, Scott said.

While letters of support have been received from the community overall, the QACPS Board of Education questioned student sustainability and a “demonstration of need� and claimed a lack of parent voices interested in enrolling students.

Charter committee officials stated they have personally spoken to multiple families in full support of the program, just without time to write letters of support or a hesitancy to speak up at Board meetings.

With a potential program so monumental looming for the county, Board of Education member Mathew Drayer questioned how parents couldn’t find the time to voice their support.

A broad petition of county residents as well as outside of the county collected “well over two hundred signatures,� that included parents, MacLeay said.

Although limited with polling data, the committee said it was happy to perform more surveys and was confident in the need.

The charter committee would ensure future marketing to all 8,000 students across the county’s districts, Targeting families with elementary age children including homeschooled, the charter school would welcome reaching where families are, including libraries for an active presence and share what the potential school would entail, MacLeay said.

“We are trying to ensure we have viable schools with the right teachers and support and staff and everything they need to be successful,� Board of Education President Shannon Bent said, and needed to hear from the community if there were additional needs to address.

Scott credited the above and beyond thoroughness forth by QACPS staff and Board of Education in reviewing the application.

“We are all in this for the children,� Kibler said, and encouraged the committee to strengthen their application and resubmit next year.

The applicant retains the right to appeal to the Maryland State Board of Education or to resubmit during the next application window.

The QACPS Board of Education will next meet Oct 1. at 6 p.m.