APS moves to shut down ABQ charter school

Board of Education to hold hearing, hear input March 20

Albuquerque Public Schools is solidifying its intent to revoke the charter of La Resolana Leadership Academy, which would shut down the school.

The board unanimously voted at Wednesday night’s Board of Education meeting to advance the revocation process, scheduling a hearing for next month.

On March 20, the Board of Education will hold the hearing, air its concerns about the school and have the chance to officially revoke the charter. At the hearing, the roughly 70-student school and the public will get a chance to weigh in.

Rob Leming, La Resolana Governing Council president, said he found

Wednesday’s decision by the board “disappointing.”

“Frankly, we’ve been steamrolled,” he said.

The APS board’s notice of revocation includes pages of federal and state law the school allegedly broke.

“Albuquerque Public Schools has found that La Resolana Leadership Academy School has failed to provide adequate support to its Special Education students, and has violated special education federal and state statutes, and New Mexico Administrative Code,” the letter says.

Deborah Elder, executive director of the Office of Innovation and School Choice, told the board a site visit at the school was conducted as recently as January.

But Leming said he felt like the school hasn’t been heard during this process, stressing there’s more to the story.

“We have evidence that contradicts the conclusions given to the board,” he said, adding he will present this at the hearing.

Many of the school’s issues, according to APS documents, have been around how the school conducted individual education plans, or IEPs, which are personalized accounts of progress, needs and goals for each student utilizing special education services.

The school, on the corner of Truman Street and Grand Avenue NE, has been scrutinized since the summer.

Joseph Escobedo, director of the Office of Innovation and School Choice, told the Board in May that the school’s special education program had “violations of federal and state law regarding special education compliance.”

After that, the APS board decided to withhold approval of La Resolana’s contract in 2018, but the school appealed to the Public Education Department.

Then-PED Secretary-designate Christopher Ruszkowski concluded the district didn’t go through the proper channels to shut down the school and required a PED-approved contract be executed.

The school has been operating since, with APS having continuing oversight.