WA moves to revoke Montessori charter

The Washington State Charter School Commission moved to close Pullman’s first and only charter school.

Commissioners voted to draft a resolution to revoke the Pullman Community Montessori’s charter during a special meeting Friday in Olympia.

Since the beginning of the year, Commission Executive Director Jessica de Barros said the group had received 72 complaints filed against the Montessori.

Commission staff performed an investigation into the school, and through an intensive process, multiple violations were found. This included deficiency in safety compliance, changes to the education program and a lack of financial viability, according to documents attached with the meeting agenda.

The board began the process to close the Montessori in March, and initiated a notice to revoke the school’s charter. The Montessori was given a month to respond, but after the school introduced new leadership, reviewing policies and its finances, the commission’s decision had not changed.

The resolution was made ultimately because the school does not have enough funds to operate.

Commission Deputy Director Harium Martin-Morris said enrollment has declined by 29% since January; it began with 113 students and dropped to 80. He said though enrollment is not a singular driver of revenue for a school, it is highly correlated at a minimum. Poor enrollment variance is an indicator of financial issues, he added.

The Montessori projected to end the school year with 14 days’ worth of cash on hand. As a third-year school, Martin-Morris said, it should have had 60 days of cash.

“PCM is currently not financially viable and has insufficient funds to remain open,” Martin-Morris said. “Even if the school is able to open in the fall of 2024, the current financial situation of PCM puts it at significant risk of midyear-closure, which would negatively impact PCM students and families.”

He added the Montessori anticipated a $500,000 budget deficit for the 2024-25 academic year, illustrated in budget materials submitted to the commission.

Additionally, the school had made educational program term changes that were not approved.

In February, the Montessori requested to close its older elementary classroom and move 11 students to the adolescent community classroom, with one teacher and classroom assistant, according to the documents.

School staff members were notified by de Barros that the changes could not occur, but they happened anyway. A formal proposal was not submitted to the commission of these changes until March.

The commission’s Zoom meeting Friday from Olympia gathered around 20 people who, for the most part, were in favor of keeping the Montessori open. Only two parents who had unenrolled their children from the school asked the Montessori be closed.

Several families spoke to the importance of an alternative form of education in Pullman. They noted the Montessori’s structure creates more opportunities for students to advance their education, like higher level math and other subjects, and it described how challenging it would be to instate another public charter school.

More than a handful of school staff members attended, including Pullman Community Montessori Board of Trustees Chairperson Robin McDonald.

McDonald asked commissioners to give the Montessori a chance to prove itself. She said the school takes concerns that have been raised very seriously, has acknowledged past issues and assures it’s taking action.

“Closing a charter at this stage would be premature,” McDonald said. “We simply need the time to show the data and progress we’re making.”

The Montessori model is an alternative form of education rather than traditional schooling. Formed by Italian physician Maria Montessori in the early 20th century, it focuses on children’s natural interests and hands-on learning opportunities rather than formal teaching methods.

The Pullman version was certified in 2020 and opened at the Gladish Community and Cultural Center in 2021. It began with about 70 students and offers kindergarten through seventh grade education. The charter school is an independently operated public school that receives federal and state funding.

The Montessori will have 20 days to appeal the draft resolution to revoke the school’s charter. An appeal would go through a hearing where the commission would take final action.

“This is a very challenging time for all public education systems,” Martin-Morris said. “Financial strains are rampant, not only in the state of Washington but nationwide. That being said, we have a financial responsibility to the people of the state of Washington to ensure that the schools that are under our oversight are managed in a fiscally responsible way.”

The Daily News reached out to Pullman Community Montessori leadership for comment, but the school didn’t respond.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.