Mississippi moves to revoke charter of top-reading school

The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board voted to move toward revoking SR1 College Preparatory and STEM Academy’s charter, even though the Canton school posted the state’s highest charter-school reading pass rate for third graders last spring. The school says it will fight the decision in court and continue classes while legal options proceed.

Why it matters: - The vote targets SR1 College Preparatory and STEM Academy, a Canton charter school serving 124 students, nearly nine in 10 of them economically disadvantaged. - SR1 CPSA says the decision could shut down Mississippi’s first college-prep and STEM public charter school, despite strong academic and financial results. - The case puts the state’s charter oversight process under scrutiny because the school’s supporters say the record does not support revocation.

What happened: - The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board voted Oct. 26, 2026, to move toward revoking SR1 CPSA’s charter. - One board member was absent for a family matter, and three members joined only by phone. - Before the vote, no board member asked the school a question about its current situation. - The board acted after a May 14 hearing and the Oct. 6 findings and recommendation from the hearing officer.

The details: - SR1 CPSA says its third graders posted an 88.2% reading pass rate on the spring 2026 MAAP test, the highest among Mississippi charter schools. - That result exceeded the state average of 75.6% and the Canton Public School District’s 67.1%. - The school says it achieved the result in its first year teaching third grade. - SR1 CPSA’s kindergarten students posted the highest fall score of any Mississippi charter school and the strongest fall-to-spring growth at 18.74 points, compared with the state figure of 17.95. - CliftonLarsonAllen LLP completed the school’s fiscal 2026 audit on Oct. 7, 2026. - The audit gave SR1 CPSA an unmodified opinion for the third straight year and found no instances of noncompliance. - The audit showed $776,520 in cash, 173 days of operating reserves, no debt, no going-concern language, and net position up more than $785,000 in one year. - The board’s revocation case relied on a 2024-25 forecast that projected one day of cash on hand. - The audited numbers were already in the board’s hands before the vote. - Enrollment grew 400% over three years. - By June 1, 2026, 150 families had enrolled for 2026-27. - After the May hearing and related coverage, enrollment fell to 124. - SR1 CPSA says students who arrive years behind grade level catch up within one to two years. - Mississippi First reviewed federal Charter Schools Program spending after the board raised concerns in March 2026. - Its June 17, 2026, closeout memo found no evidence that any expenditure was unsupported or improperly reimbursed.

Between the lines: - The hearing officer did not order revocation and suggested remanding the case so the board could review the school’s latest audit and performance report. - The hearing record says the board did not prove it gave SR1 CPSA corrective intervention. - The hearing record also says no witness testified to the nutrition allegation. - The board’s own financial witness testified that SR1 CPSA had never failed to pay a bill and was not going to fail. - The school says the Mississippi Department of Education approved its child nutrition program on Sept. 8, 2026. - The hearing officer concluded the timing of the prior year’s audit was not a basis for revocation. - SR1 CPSA filed a 404-page response on Oct. 20, 2026, and says the board voted within three business days without asking about it. - Tamu Green, the school’s founder and president, said the board is moving against a school that is outperforming nearby schools rather than against a failing one.

What’s next: - SR1 CPSA will keep classes running while it pursues legal options. - The school says families will be notified directly about any change. - SR1 CPSA plans to pursue all legal avenues available to keep the school open. - The school says staff positions, student records and services will continue during the dispute. - The board’s final revocation action still must follow the current process.

The bottom line: - Mississippi’s charter oversight fight is now centered on a school with strong reading results, clean audits and rising demand, setting up a high-stakes legal battle over how the state judges charter performance.