State Board Denies Appeal of Charter School

On October 26, 2010, the Maryland State Board of Education issued its opinion in the Academic Enrichment and Training Academy (AETA) v.  Montgomery County Board of Education appeal. 


The State Board found that the appellant, AETA, had not appealed the denial of their application to the local Board of Education before appealing to the State Board. Therefore, the appeal could not be reviewed at the State Board level.


From the State Board opinion:  

...Ms. Webb, the Executive Director to the Deputy Superintendent of Schools, issued a decision regarding the untimely filing of the charter school application. Presumably, Ms. Webb was the Superintendent's designee, thus an appeal of her decision should have been taken to the local board pursuant to Section 4-205 of the process. Only after the local board decides issues raised in an appeal, does the right to an appeal to the State Board arise...