Legacy Charter School in Titusville gets last-minute OK to open

Parents breathed a sign of relief Tuesday when Legacy Academy Charter School got the OK to open from the Brevard County School Board. 

Closure would have left about 200 kids looking for a new school just days before school starts Thursday.

The new charter school, a pre-K through sixth-grade school in Titusville, faced termination by the board for not having a certificate of occupancy, proper health insurance or passing required health inspections on time.

A pre-opening checklist claims that, at the time, Legacy Academy didn't have all of its curriculum materials, enough teachers hired or a food service plan in place, and some employees hadn't gone through the necessary background checks. 

What happened:New Titusville charter school faces termination

Superintendent Desmond Blackburn recommended terminating the charter school's contract just a few days after the school received a notice of deficiency, detailing problems that needed to fixed by Aug. 7. School starts Thursday.

Blackburn said if Legacy Academy didn't open in time, there's room for students at their neighborhood schools.

After the school sent out emails and the news hit Facebook, parents started to panic and wondered if they needed to find different schools for their kids. Most stuck it out, confident the school would open. 

By the time the termination letter had been received, school leaders claimed most of the problems had already been corrected, and the rest would be addressed by the Aug. 7 deadline. 

The school entered into a contract with the school board in 2015, but just signed a lease at First United Methodist Church of Titusville in July. 

More:BPS superintendent talks charter schools, security, testing

More:Four changes coming to Brevard schools this year

"You say that we have until the seventh to complete these items, and then a day later you put out a document recommending termination," said Chris Norwood, a governance and compliance consultant for independently owned charter schools across the state who is representing Legacy Academy during this matter.

Because the school was able to correct everything by Aug. 7, Blackburn pulled his recommendation from tonight's school board agenda. 

"To not be able to meet the letter of the law is significant, and it's not our law," Blackburn said Monday before the termination letter was rescinded, explaining the requirements are outlined by the state. "We can't put kids and staff members in harm's way."

Norwood blamed the school district for causing a panic and said its claims that there was an "immediate and serious danger to the health, safety or welfare" of students blew things out of proportion.

Legacy is Titusville's second charter school and Brevard County's 12th. Classes will focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math. 

Caroline Glenn is the Education Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact her at caglenn@floridatoday.com or 321-576-5933, or follow her on Twitter @bycarolineglenn and like "Education at Florida Today" on Facebook.