Bibb School Board: Macon Charter Academy can’t recruit students for next school year

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon Charter Academy can’t recruit students for the upcoming school year.

The Bibb School Board sent a cease and desist letter to MCA Monday.

The letter says “as the local authorizer of MCA’s charter, Bibb County Board of Education is instructing the governing council and staff of MCA to cease the recruitment of students for the 2016-2017 school year.”

The letter also asks governing council and staff of MCA to remove “all signs, advertisements, etc. on the property of MCA related to recruitment of students for the 2016-2017 school year.”

The letter says the State Department of Education gave MCA notice of its intent to recommend termination of MCA’s charter to the State Board of Education on April 7, 2016 because the school failed to adhere to material terms of the charter, violated applicable federal, state or local law, failed to meet accepted standards of fiscal management and the existence of competent substantial evidence showed that the continued operation of the charter “would be contrary to the best interest of the students or the community.”

The State DOE also told MCA to stop any and all student recruitment efforts on April 7, 2016, according to the letter.

The letter says MCA’s failure to comply with the state’s direction is “further evidence of your refusal to adhere to the applicable state law and the terms of the charter between MCA, the State Board of Education and the Bibb County Board of Education.”

MCA filed an appeal after a bankruptcy judge ruled the state DOE and Bibb BOE can continue the charter termination process.

MCA also filed a motion for stay pending the appeal.

A bankruptcy judge denied the motion for stay pending the appeal on Monday.