A popular charter faces closure to make more room for an LAUSD school

"A divided Los Angeles school board has voted to shut down a popular charter school to make more space for its own program on the same Echo Park campus, pushing the boundaries of state law and school district authority over charters. The 4-3 vote late Tuesday denied a renewal authorization for Gabriella Charter School, which means the 400-student school specializing in dance instruction, can't operate beyond the end of the current school year."

"Board member Rocio Rivas, whose district includes the school, said the move was necessary to protect the interests of the district-operated school and the nation's second-largest school system. "This multiuse agreement has not worked," Rivas said. "It meets the needs of Gabriella, but it's not meeting the needs of the district. So as far as I'm concerned, this multiuse agreement should be nullified.""

"The California Charter Schools Assn. spoke strongly in defense of Gabriella. "This decision is a backhanded strategy to push Gabriella out of its longtime home on an LAUSD campus - a site the District itself invited Gabriella to share with a district-run school back in 2009," said Keith Dell'Aquila, who leads advocacy work for the association in the L.A. area. "For 16 years, Gabriella has served countless students at that location with excellence and stability.""

The Los Angeles school board voted 4-3 to deny renewal of Gabriella Charter School, preventing the 400-student dance-focused charter from operating after the current school year. The decision aims to clear space on the Echo Park campus for a district-operated program and asserts district authority over a shared multiuse agreement. Board member Rocio Rivas framed the move as protecting district interests, calling the multiuse agreement ineffective for the district. The California Charter Schools Association condemned the action as a strategy to displace Gabriella, and the school is considering legal options while county officials could independently review renewal.

Read at Los Angeles Times