PGCPS schedules Oct. 23 vote on proposed revocation of Excel Public Charter School after operator cites financial collapse

Prince George’s County Public Schools held a public hearing Oct. 16 to receive input on a recommendation to revoke the charter contract for Excel Public Charter School after the school’s operator, Seed Excel Charter Schools, notified the district in August that it could not open the 2025–26 school year because of ‘‘insurmountable financial challenges.’’ The Prince George’s County Board of Education will consider a final decision at its Oct. 23 meeting.

The hearing was informational; no public commenters signed up and the board took no formal action on Oct. 16. Siobhan Hall Smith, instructional director for charter schools at Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS), said the operator ‘‘unilateral[ly]’’ ceased operations two days before the start of the 2025–26 school year after a series of fiscal shortfalls. Hall Smith attributed the revocation recommendation to the operator’s ‘‘severe fiscal deficiencies’’ and to the district’s evaluation under state and local revocation rules.

Under Maryland law and the district’s procedures, a chartering authority may not renew a charter unless the school demonstrates satisfactory academic achievement, fiscal management and compliance with its charter contract. Hall Smith and charter office liaison Jubilee Ransom cited the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), Maryland Code of Education (charter renewal provisions), and PGCPS administrative procedure 3506 (charter revocation) as the governing standards for the review.

PGCPS staff presented a financial summary showing that Excel overspent by more than $600,000 in fiscal year 2024. The presentation also identified a $347,000 loan from PGCPS to the operator in April 2025 and said the operator did not meet agreed repayment terms and later told the district it could not open for the 2025–26 school year. Hall Smith summarized the timeline: the operator requested support in 2024, the district approved financial assistance in 2025, the operator failed to repay as agreed and, on or about Aug. 21, 2025, the operator notified the district of its inability to open for the school year.

Board member Ellen McCants noted uncertainty in the presentation about who approved the financial assistance. ‘‘There was no formal vote, no formal anything that we took as a board to approve anything of that nature,’’ McCants said, asking staff to clarify whether the approval came from the board or from district (LEA) leadership. Staff acknowledged that some approvals and operational decisions were made at the LEA level and agreed to clarify records for the board’s review before the Oct. 23 vote.

In response to a board question, Hall Smith described steps PGCPS has taken to strengthen fiscal oversight of charter operators: requiring quarterly financial statements from each operator, reviewing those statements in collaboration with the district’s budget and accounting offices to detect early signs of insolvency, and collecting annual audits to compare with internal policies and procedures.

The hearing was convened to receive public testimony under PGCPS public comment policy; registration was open for live, written and video testimony until 6:15 p.m., but staff reported no registered public speakers. The presentation and hearing recording will be available on the PGCPS YouTube channel, according to the vice chair.

The board will receive a formal recommendation and is scheduled to vote on the contract revocation recommendation at its Oct. 23 board meeting. No formal action was taken during the Oct. 16 hearing.

Details and timing: the operator informed PGCPS on or about Aug. 21, 2025 that it could not open; the district provided a $347,000 loan in April 2025; FY24 overspending of more than $600,000 was identified; staff reported the operator did not meet repayment terms and requested additional time and support.