Charter school skating on thin ice

Greg Mathis was almost closed 2 years ago and still has numerous problems to solve to stay open

It's been a rough five years for Greg Mathis Charter High School.

The North Charleston school has seen at least five directors during that time, and its test scores have been among the worst in Charleston County. The school board almost shut the school down in 2006 after it couldn't pay its bills, and the school's ties with the national YouthBuild organization no longer exist.

Still, the school board decided to give the school for at-risk students another chance by giving probationary approval to its charter renewal request this summer.

School district staff plan to visit the school in October to see whether it is following its charter and state and federal laws. During the most recent review of the school, officials found numerous and serious violations of its agreement with the district. If those problems aren't corrected, district staff plan to ask the board to close the school.

Most of Greg Mathis' students have been suspended or expelled from other district schools; and for many of the students, the North Spartan Boulevard school is their last chance to earn a diploma. The only other school that served a similar student population was Sea Islands YouthBuild Charter, which the board closed less than a month ago. That school is appealing the decision.

Charter schools are public schools run by boards of parents and community members. They follow state laws but not district mandates.

Kenneth Sellers, the new Greg Mathis Charter director, questioned what would become of his students if the school closed and said they instead might be sitting at home watching TV or hanging out on street corners and getting into trouble, he said.

A non-district team of educators evaluated Greg Mathis and cited a list of problems, including a lack of clear sense of direction, poor attendance, a need for faculty training, an unorganized governing board and an absence of on-time, four-year graduates. Nearly one-fifth of its students were suspended or expelled for violent or criminal offenses in 2007, and the school did not have a certified special education teacher to ensure its special-needs students received required services, according to the review.

The school also has been financially strapped, with roughly 45 percent of its income going to rent and payment of past debts instead of educational services. Its estimated budget this year was $607,401.

Sellers said it's difficult for Greg Mathis to offer a comprehensive high school curriculum because of its small enrollment, but that is happening. Two-thirds of the school's nine teachers are certified, and the school is looking to hire a special education teacher, he said.

Sellers has rewritten the school's mission statement and is revising the school's charter. He plans to offer training for staff and he said he's working to address all concerns cited by the review team.

"I'm not concerned about the school district coming in," he said. "That is expected and welcome. I think they would find we are serving children. They are our customers. What they should see is a school working to meet needs of at-risk kids."

The school's halls were quiet on Friday, and instruction was happening in classrooms. Some students listened and interacted with teachers while others put their heads down on desks. About 75 students are on the school's roster, and about 50 were present on Friday.

Senior Monique Johnson is in her second year at Greg Mathis and is slated to graduate in May. She could've gone to her neighborhood high school, but she said her focus wasn't as good in a large school. Greg Mathis has smaller classes that help her to concentrate on class, she said.

"It's been a blessing because I really had nowhere else to go," she said.

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.

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