A controversial charter school that was approved to open its doors in Chapel Hill this fall has hit a road block. The managing company that was supposed to run the day-to-day operations of the Howard and Lillian Lee Charter School has pulled out.
National Heritage Academies, Inc. runs more than 70 charter schools across the country, including six in North Carolina. The Lee School would have been number seven, but NHA has backed out of the project.
That leaves the school’s Board of Directors trying to figure out the next step. None of the Board members contacted by WUNC responded to requests for comment. If they find a new management company, the school will have to go through another approval process by the state.
The developer who was supposed to build the school in Carrboro recently delayed a public hearing on the project.
The school’s founders say it will help address the achievement gap. Chapel Hill/Carrboro school administrators say it could divert more than $4 million from its budget.