Hillsborough board votes to immediately terminate Walton Academy charter, citing safety failures

The Hillsborough County School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to immediately terminate the charter for Walton Academy for the Performing Arts, following state and district inspections that the superintendent and the district security chief said showed continuing health, safety and welfare risks for students.

Superintendent Van Ayers said his "highest responsibility is to ensure the safety, well-being, and educational integrity for every student in our district," and recommended termination under section 1002.33, Florida Statutes after what the district described as repeated noncompliance despite oversight and technical assistance.

The district's chief of security, John Newman, outlined specific shortfalls cited in state and district reviews, including unsecured gates, classrooms without clearly marked "hard corners," cluttered rooms that impede emergency procedures and problems integrating the Alyssa's Law panic-alert system with the 9-1-1 centers. "Alyssa's Law has two primary functions," Newman said, "...to cut down response times" and enable rapid lockdowns; he added that in one visit Walton staff had to access a laptop to trigger the vendor application rather than activate a phone-based alert.

Walton Academy leaders and a large group of parents, staff and alumni urged the board not to close the school. Tanika Walton, the school's principal and co-founder, said the cited issues had been addressed: "There are no ongoing safety and health issues at Walton Academy," she said, adding that documented corrective actions and drill reports were in a binder made available to district reviewers.

Teachers, parents and alumni described Walton as a close-knit community and urged the board to allow more time for repairs and corrective work. Third-grade teacher Tracy Rothamil said the school "provides more than just an education; it is a place where our children feel safe, happy, secure, and loved." Several parents asked the board to grant 60 to 90 days to finish repairs and paperwork.

Board members said they weighed the public pleas against the letters and inspections on file. District counsel told the board that under section 1002.33 the sponsor may immediately terminate a charter if written facts show an immediate and serious danger to students' health, safety or welfare. Board members who spoke during the discussion repeatedly cited safety as the overriding concern.

Member Karen Perez, who moved to approve the superintendent's recommendation, asked about placement options for students in the event of closure; the district said it had neighboring elementary and performing-arts magnet schools prepared to receive students and would coordinate transportation and placement through the Student Placement and Choice offices.

The motion to immediately terminate Walton Academy's charter was made by Member Karen Perez and seconded by Dr. Stacy Hahn. The board voted to approve the superintendent's recommendation by a unanimous vote of board members present. The charter may request an administrative hearing under the statute; district counsel confirmed the school has 10 days to file a request.

Supporters said they would pursue the administrative process and continue efforts to remedy facility issues; district officials said the board's action was narrowly based on the safety and compliance record before them.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the superintendent's recommendation to terminate Walton Academy's charter immediately under section 1002.33, Florida Statutes; the motion was moved by Member Karen Perez, seconded by Dr. Stacy Hahn and passed unanimously by board members present.

What happens next: Walton Academy may request a formal hearing before an administrative law judge, and the district will provide placement support and information to families while that process proceeds.