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Board ratifies closure of Village of Excellence Academy; district to audit finances of closed charter
Summary
The board approved termination of the contract with Village of Excellence Academy after the school's governing board voluntarily voted to close; the district reported outreach to all 78 families and said staff are auditing finances and consulting legal counsel.
The Hillsborough County School Board approved agenda item C203 on Feb. 25 to terminate the contract with Village of Excellence Academy after the charter’s governing board voted to close the school on Jan. 23.
Superintendent Ayers told the board that the district contacted all 78 enrolled families to offer enrollment options; staff reported that students moved to neighborhood schools, other charters, home education or private schools. "The 78 students that were enrolled at Village of Excellence are now at their neighborhood schools, either another charter school, home ed, or a private school," Superintendent Ayers said.
Why it matters: The closure affects enrollment stability for dozens of students and prompted board members to ask questions about the charter’s finances and whether any funds might be owed to the state. Board members asked staff to follow up with more detailed financial records and with legal counsel.
Board questions and staff response Member Combs, who had pulled the item, reviewed the charter’s financial closeouts and flagged line items that surprised her — for example, administrative salaries that appeared unchanged for a six‑month operating period and a large outlay for building costs. She asked whether the district had been notified earlier about financial distress and pressed staff on outstanding audit questions.
District staff said they had contacted all families and would provide board members with a breakdown of where students enrolled. They also said the charter is undergoing a final audit and that the district has asked legal counsel to review fiscal issues and outstanding contractual obligations.
Vote and next steps The motion to approve the termination was made by Member Washington and seconded by Member Perez. The board approved the item unanimously. Staff said they will share the final audit results with the board and will follow up on specific line‑item questions raised during the meeting.
Quotes "So that's what was really concerning to me is, like, did that charter school know that they were financially being challenged and what was happening?" Member Combs asked during discussion of the closing's financial documents.
Ending The board ratified termination of the contract and asked staff to report back with the final audit and any legal findings related to fiscal closeout.
