UH Charter School closing after 24 years

University of Houston System’s board of regents voted Thursday to close its charter school due to financial issues and the added challenges the institution has faced while educating students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With too few staff, the complications of online learning and budgeting issues fueled by lower enrollment, charter school staff and the board reasoned that it would be too difficult to financially sustain the UH Charter School.

The school receives $268,000 from the UH System each year and is chartered by the State Board of Education. Enrollment, typically capped at 138 students, has also been low, with only 89 students, according to the resolution.

Paula Myrick Short, UH provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said the UH College of Education, which helps staff the charter school with its student teachers, also needs to focus on the future of its students, who are in high demand in local school districts.

“We’ve been struggling with our financial support of the charter school for several years,” said Bob McPherson, dean of UH’s College of Education, adding that the pandemic amplified the strain. He said the charter school faculty, however, made a “heroic shift” during the pandemic.

“It’s been a gem for the university in relation to thecommunity, but the College of Educa-

tion can now turn its focus to what we do best,” which is to prepare educators, McPherson said.

Reasoning that keeping the school open is not cost effective, the charter school staff decided to begin the lengthy-process of closing the school, which has a 10-year charter that is up for renewal in July, Short said.

The school will stay open through the remainder of the academic year and will close on August 2021, according to the board resolution. In the meantime, charter school staff will assist students in finding placement at other schools for the 2021-2022 academic year.

The school opened in 1997. Since 2000, it has served K-5 students.