MBLI charter school will fight closure effort in Montgomery County
The leader of Maryland’s largest school system has made clear he wants to close a charter school that’s focused on delivering an education that includes an emphasis on financial literacy and entrepreneurship for students.
The operator of that school — which opened in Bethesda in January — is equally clear that she intends to fight efforts to revoke the school’s charter.
In a Dec. 8 letter to the president and CEO of the Mecca Business Learning Institute, Montgomery County’s only charter school, Montgomery County School Superintendent Thomas Taylor notified LaChaundra Graham that he intends to formally recommend revoking the school’s charter.
Taylor cited what he said was the school’s failure to submit a corrective action plan in a timely manner after an audit found a number of deficiencies at the school. He also stated “MBLI consistently has misinformed families regarding its transportation, financial status, communications with MCPS and policy interpretation.”
The school was sent a letter on Nov. 14 that faulted MBLI for a number of issues including failure to provide special education and related services, implement 504 accommodation plans for students, and inadequate documentation and reporting of the delivery of special education services.
On Dec. 1, the school was also sent a letter detailing the findings of an IEP audit, which found “widespread, systemic patterns and recurring issues” tied to special education services at MBLI.
MBLI opened in September at a holding facility in Bethesda after construction delays at its planned site in Germantown made operating there impossible. There were also problems with transportation.
The request to revoke the charter will be discussed at the Montgomery County Board of Education meeting on Jan. 8, according to MCPS spokesperson Liliana Lopez.
Taylor’s decision to call for revoking the school’s charter was first reported by Bethesda Today.
The school’s founder responds
In an email response to questions from WTOP, Graham wrote, “To ensure accuracy and completeness of the public record, MBLI is responding in writing only at this time.”
“The Superintendent’s posture reflects disputed allegations, not adjudicated findings, and those matters are currently under formal state review,” Graham wrote.
While MCPS works to revoke the school’s charter, Graham stated, “MBLI has submitted formal filings to the Maryland State Department of Education seeking state review and intervention related to the district’s actions.”
Referring to questions about enrollment at the school, Graham said that, as of Sep. 30, MBLI had 180 students enrolled. But, she added, “Subsequent enrollment figures have been directly impacted by district actions, including the central removal of enrolled students and misaligned communications made to families.”
As far as questions about transportation, Graham stated, “Transportation services are operational with ongoing adjustments typical of a new school launch. Any assertions of noncompliance are disputed and are part of matters currently under state review.”
WTOP contacted MSDE about MBLI but did not hear back as of Friday evening.
One parent’s experience
Kristina Salguero, whose son is in the sixth grade at MBLI, is very happy with the progress he has made at the school, and told WTOP she’s been contacting the school board to urge them to keep the school open.
Salguero said she was drawn to MBLI for several reasons, including the school’s smaller enrollment size and the emphasis on business in the curriculum. Her son previously attended Waters Landing Elementary School.
According to MCPS data, as of the 2023-2024 school year, Waters Landing had an enrollment of 716 students.
In Taylor’s letter notifying Graham about revoking the school’s charter, he cited the school’s release of confidential student information to a reporter. He described the matter as “an egregious violation of state and federal privacy laws.”
Salguero’s response to the breach was sanguine. “In this day and age, I’m so jaded,” she said.
“What doesn’t get breached?” Salguero said, noting she sees the lapse as an accident. “To me, it doesn’t feel like, ‘oh, the school should shut down because of that.’ Because, you know what? That can happen at a regular school as well.”
Salguero said it’s easy to criticize schools. “I mean, no parent’s ever happy with their schools, and people have their own reasons, and everyone complains about everything, right?”
But, she said, MCPS should work in step with the charter school.
“It would be great if we had more of these different types of programs,” she said. “Instead of being against charter schools, let’s be a little more creative.”
“I can only speak for my son and they have helped him so much with his ADHD and his focus,” she said, noting her son left Waters Landing Elementary School reading at a third grade level and couldn’t write a paragraph.
Based off his latest MBLI assessment, Salguero said her son is now “reading at a fifth grade level,” and is able to put together an entire essay. “So that is just amazing to me,” she said.
Salguero said she’ll be advocating for the school at upcoming meetings before the Montgomery County Board of Education. MBLI doesn’t have its own PTSA, but Salguero said, “We have a WhatsApp group with all of the parents there, and we are planning on attending the school board meeting on Jan. 8, and our children will be there in their uniforms.”