Queen Anne's County board upholds superintendent recommendation and denies Queen Anne's Classical charter application

The Queen Anne's County Board of Education on Sept. 10 voted to adopt Interim Superintendent Dr. Kibler's recommendation to deny the charter application from Queen Anne's Classical Charter School (QACCS), after a public presentation and extended board questioning about capacity, community support and legal timelines.

Board members cited gaps in the application and in follow-up materials as the basis for the recommendation. Interim Superintendent Dr. Kibler told the board that "that recommendation for denial is based on the application that was submitted ... it's based on the deficiencies that the team found," and that the review considered the application, the capacity interview and subsequent follow-up communications.

QACCS representatives, led by Ashley McClay, president of the charter school's board of directors, made a 40-minute presentation describing the group's mission, timeline options and requested waivers. McClay summarized the charter model and state context: "Maryland charter schools are public schools which…