Posota’s operator requested a charter amendment at the Oct. 14 Charles County Board of Education meeting to extend sibling preference so that families with a child who previously attended and completed Posota’s program through eighth grade would receive preference for siblings entering the school.

What happened at the meeting: CCPS staff described the proposed amendment and explained its purpose: the operator said the change would promote family continuity, aid long‑range enrollment planning for the small charter school and support the tight‑knit school community. The operator said it would affect incoming families beginning next school year, noting the school already completed its 2025 lottery and maintains a wait list.

Board response and outcome: Board members asked clarifying questions about how sibling preference interacts with the charter‑school lottery and whether the district’s current oversight of charter lotteries would be affected. Staff told the board that, under the school’s current preferences, nine students in the current Posota enrollment (out of 248) were in seats attributable to existing preference categories (staff and existing sibling preference). After a short period of discussion, the board voted unanimously to table the proposed charter amendment so the operator could present all proposed charter updates together at a later meeting. Staff said the amendment would affect admissions for the next school year only if approved in time and that the operator could reapply with a consolidated set of changes.

Why it matters: Sibling preference provisions can affect access to limited seats at small charter schools, and extending preference to alumni families would open a group not previously covered by preference. Board members said they wanted to see any additional proposed amendments in a bundled review so the board could assess cumulative impacts.

Ending: The board’s unanimous vote to table sends the request back to the operator to refine and consolidate proposed charter amendments for future consideration.