Posota leaders ask board for charter flexibility on transportation and reserves; board approves curriculum changes but tables contract amendments
Summary
Phoenix International School of the Arts (Posota) asked the Charles County Board to amend its charter agreement to allow enrollment flexibility, optional buyback services and to reduce contingency reserve requirements; board approved Posota's proposed curriculum changes (narrowing arts pathways and shifting to CCPS illustrative math for most students) but postponed any contract amendments until Posota and district counsel produce precise language and a transportation plan.
Phoenix International School of the Arts (Posota) presented a multi-part request to the Charles County Board of Education on Jan. 13 asking for operational flexibility to address financial sustainability while preserving instructional quality.
Angelica Jackson, Posota CEO, and Dr. Jasmine Bateman, Posota principal, requested revisions to their charter agreement so the school could (1) bifurcate the charter agreement from a services agreement for buyback services (transportation, building services, food services), (2) decline or redesign transportation obligations when cost‑prohibitive, (3) adopt 90 days cash on hand (approximately 3% of budget) rather than a 5% contingency requirement, and (4) codify mid‑year enrollment flexibility in the charter. Jackson said the district bills Posota roughly $1,000 per student for transportation while the school receives a little over $500 per pupil — a gap Posota leaders say hinders their financial sustainability.
Posota also requested board approval for curricular changes for the coming year: reduce arts pathways from five (dance, instrumental music, vocal music, theater, visual art) to three (dance, theater, visual art); expand Dance 3 into an eighth‑grade capstone; shift on‑grade and inclusion math to CCPS illustrative math while retaining Cambridge math for honors/gifted students; and rename the digital art course to "Communicating Through Graphic Design." The board voted to approve the curricular package.
During extensive board discussion, members welcomed Posota’s use of data but repeatedly emphasized the need for exact, attorney‑reviewed contract language. Several members said they would not act on charter‑level contract changes until Posota and CCPS counsel produce specific, negotiated language and a detailed transportation plan that includes cost analyses and equity considerations for students across the county. As a result, the board voted to postpone (table) action on the requested charter agreement amendments to a future regular meeting to allow for such plans and counsel negotiation.
Public commenters — including multiple parents of students who attend Posota and district educators — spoke in favor of the school’s small‑school environment and the proposed changes, especially noting Posota’s supports for students with disabilities and its arts programming.
Board members and district staff suggested options Posota could explore during the pause: rider‑based transportation, purchase of a shuttle or sprinter van, increased use of community partners for after‑school music opportunities (e.g., Charles County Youth Orchestra), and careful attorney‑to‑attorney drafting before final approval of charter amendments. Posota representatives said they will return with specific language and cost models for board consideration.
