The Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board began proceedings in December to revoke the charter of SR1 College Preparatory and STEM Academy in Canton, the board said, citing severe fiscal mismanagement and other concerns that could lead to the school’s closure.
The authorizer said regulators found the school had one day’s cash on hand, submitted multiple late financial audits, and over-projected enrollment for a third straight year. The board also said it has evidence of food safety issues in the cafeteria and raised academic concerns, including missing parent signatures on seven of 11 individualized education plans, charter school authorizer board attorney Dillon Pitts told a May hearing, Mississippi Today reported.
Parents and some SR1 employees said they have received little direct communication from state officials about the proceedings and that school leaders have not fully explained the situation. At an event organized by school officials this week, parents asked whether staff would keep their jobs and sought guidance on how to advocate for the school, Mississippi Today reported. Lakiska Garrett, a grandparent of a SR1 student, said her granddaughter improved academically after enrolling and called the school a “godsend.”
SR1 opened in 2023 and enrolls about 98 students, Mississippi Today reported. The outlet said roughly 19 third-graders at the school had about an 88% pass rate on state reading tests this year. Parents told Mississippi Today they sought the school for its STEM-focused curriculum and experiential learning and said they worry about losing an alternative to Canton’s public schools.
Executive Director Lisa Karmacharya of the authorizer board told Mississippi Today that the governing board of a charter — in this case SR1 (Scientific Research), a Ridgeland-based nonprofit run by CEO Tamu Green — is responsible for communicating with stakeholders until the authorizer takes action. “Our responsibility and our contract is with the governing board who has the responsibility to oversee and communicate with the school,” Karmacharya said. Parents said they want clearer data and more opportunity to respond as the authorizer considers revoking the charter.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
