Hillsborough School Board votes to immediately terminate Walton Academy charter, cites safety and compliance failures

The Hillsborough County School Board voted unanimously Oct. 14 to immediately terminate the charter of Walton Academy for the Performing Arts, following district and state inspections that the superintendent and the district’s chief of security said showed conditions posing an immediate danger to students.

Superintendent Van Ayers told the board that, pursuant to Section 1002.33, Florida Statutes, the district had documented “inadequate supervision, unsafe facility conditions, and failure to comply with required safety protocols despite prior oversight and opportunities for corrective action.” Chief of Security John Newman described findings from district and state inspections, including unsecured campus gates, classrooms with clutter or missing “hard corner” markings required by Marjory Stoneman Douglas–related safety law, and problems integrating the school’s Alyssa’s Law panic-alert system with 9‑1‑1 centers.

Newman said district staff could gain access to Walton’s campus by simply driving onto the property and that one gate contained a hole large enough for an adult to walk through. He told the board that on a recent visit faculty assigned to supervise playground activity had not been positioned to protect children and that some classrooms still lacked required hard-corner markings despite prior corrective notices.

The recommendation to terminate was moved by Member Karen Perez and seconded by Dr. Hahn. Counsel and district staff advised the board the legal standard for immediate termination is narrow: the sponsor must find particular facts showing that an immediate and serious danger to students exists, that danger is likely to continue, and that immediate termination is necessary. Board members repeatedly emphasized student safety as their paramount concern.

Public comment before the vote included dozens of speakers: many Walton Academy parents, alumni, staff and faith leaders urged the board to allow more time (several asked for a 90‑day extension) and to work with the charter to remedy cited deficiencies. Other speakers, including a former Walton teacher, presented accounts of ongoing facility problems — rat droppings, leaking ceilings, damaged floors and other hazards — and urged immediate closure. Several speakers also raised broader concerns about charter oversight and state policy changes they called “Schools of Hope,” saying those rules could allow private operators expanded access to public-school space.

Board members noted both the community’s strong support for Walton Academy and the district and state findings. Dr. Hahn, Member Grama, Member Combs and others said the district and state documentation showed repeated safety shortfalls that placed students at risk and that allowing more time could perpetuate that risk. The board voted in favor of immediate termination; Walton Academy has the right to request an administrative hearing within 10 days under the statutory process.

The board’s action was limited to the statutory criteria laid out in the superintendent’s recommendation and the state’s letter. District officials said families of affected students would be offered placement options, including nearby neighborhood schools and performing‑arts magnet seats at Mueller and Shore elementary magnets, and that transportation would be provided for students as needed.

The termination will take effect immediately pending any appeal. The charter may pursue a formal administrative hearing under state law to contest the district’s decision.