Charter School Review Committee recommends denying Cecil Classical Charter School application; supporters urged approval at board meeting

Dr. Jenny Hammer, lead of the Charter School Review Committee, told the Board of Education of Cecil County on July 8 that the CSRC had "unanimously recommend[ed] ... that the 2026 CCCS application should be denied due to critical weaknesses across all sections of the application." The committee presented its memo, capacity-interview video evidence and a recommended process for board review under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).

The committee presented a multi-stage review that included interviews with the proposed governance board and responses to performance scenarios. Dr. Hammer said the CSRC documented "critical weaknesses across all sections of the application" and will submit a written rationale to the district and to the charter school's president after the meeting. Under COMAR, the county board must render a decision on an application received May 13, 2026, within 120 days (the board was told that translates to a Sept. 10, 2026 deadline).

Board members asked procedural clarifying questions, including the difference between approving an application and approving a charter agreement. One board member framed the distinction this way: approving an application affirms a viable operating plan; the charter agreement is a subsequent document that can be conditioned on elements such as facility procurement. Dr. Lawson confirmed examples in which an application could be approved while the agreement is delayed pending procurement of a building.

Members agreed the next practical step is a board work session to review the CSRC memo, the full application and the capacity-interview recordings before the board's August meeting; the board has until Sept. 10 to make a final determination. "The CSRC is available to answer any questions that the board may have," Dr. Hammer said, and she outlined the committee's recommended materials for that review.

Public participation included three speakers who urged the board to approve the charter. Michelle Marks, a parent and former education administrator, said the charter would provide "smaller class sizes" and stronger parental partnership, describing the school as "not a nice to have endeavor. It's a need to have." Shelly Alarcon, another parent, emphasized that charter schools in Maryland are public schools accountable to public standards and noted the proposal's plans for Orton-Gillingham dyslexia support and for CCPS-employed teachers. Norma Carey, who said she serves on the charter school's board, cited proficiency figures she found on the Maryland report-card site and said they illustrate why families seek alternatives: "33.8 percent of 3rd grade students were proficient in math; by 5th grade that dropped to 21.3% and by 8th grade it fell to 7.2%." Carey also reported that only 5% of Northeast Middle School eighth-graders were proficient in math.

The board did not take a final vote on the charter application at the July 8 meeting. Instead, members accepted the CSRC report, asked for documentation and scheduled follow-up review. The board was advised to complete its decision by Sept. 10, 2026, consistent with the regulatory timetable explained during the presentation.