The school’s principal said safety violations have been addressed and corrected after the school board voted to terminate the charter.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Walton Academy for the Performing Arts remained open even after Hillsborough County Public Schools board members voted to terminate the charter effective immediately.
The school was open to students and staff on Wednesday, a day after board members unanimously voted, citing safety concerns. During that meeting, a number of families pleaded with the board not to pull the charter.
“Walton Academy is more than just a school. It’s a safe space,” said one parent.
A letter from the Florida Department of Education to the superintendent cited multiple violations, including that safe areas in classrooms were not identified or marked, the Alyssa’s Alert system was not functioning, and that emergency drills or after-action reviews were not conducted as required.
As a result, the superintendent recommended immediate termination of the charter.
Principal and co-founder Tanika Walton told school board members the issues were fixed.
“I stand before you tonight, not in defense, but in clarification and truth,” Walton said. “The concerns outlined by the district and state have been fully addressed, corrected and documented.”
Walton said there are no ongoing safety and health issues at the school. In addition, the issues first raised by the state in the spring have been corrected, properly maintained and filed. Regarding Alyssa’s Alert system, Walton stated that over the summer, a system upgrade from a third-party platform caused a temporary issue, which has since been fully remedied.
The school district said Walton Academy had been warned of security deficiencies numerous times since the beginning of the school year.
School Board Member Nadia Combs said the issues haven’t been resolved despite ample warning to the school’s officials. Combs also said she was concerned about the school’s finances and academic performance during the meeting.
Combs said 90% of students were not reading at the level.
“The number one job as a school board members is to make sure that we keep students safe,” Combs said. “We never want to close schools, but I can’t sleep at night knowing that a child is unsafe.”
Other school board members echoed safety concerns during the meeting. A spokesperson said the district will be seeking an injunction to stop the school from operating.
“Walton Academy opened this morning in defiance of the Board’s action last night that immediately terminated their charter,” stated a school spokesperson. “Continued operation would materially threaten the health, safety and welfare of the students.”
Combs said options for where families can now enroll their kids have already been shared.
At the meeting, an attorney for the school board stated the vote still allows the charter to request a hearing, giving Walton Academy school officials up to 10 days to present their case to a judge.