Shut Charters Leave Families Revising Plans

By Joetta L. Sack

Lori L. Mathews thought Georgetown Charter School was the perfect school for her two elementary-age boys. Its Direct Instruction curriculum, enthusiastic teachers, school uniforms, and friendly environment seemed to make for an ideal place for all of its students, she says.

But her satisfaction turned out to be short-lived. When the popular K-6 school in Georgetown, Del., shut down March 27 after only seven months in business, more than 600 students and their families were left scrambling to find new schools or to make other arrangements.

The closing of a charter school always shakes up the lives of parents and students. But when a charter school closes near the end of the academic year, as did Georgetown Charter, the transition to other schools or learning environments...