BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama Public Charter School Commission this week denied an extension request for a proposed Huntsville charter school, effectively revoking its approval.
Under the Oaks charter school planned to open in 2026. Organizers asked for an additional 90 days to meet conditions set when their charter was approved in May. The commission had granted a 90-day extension in June.
To get full approval, the school needed a federal court order confirming it would not interfere with Huntsville City Schools’ long-standing desegregation case, along with proof of $250,000 in startup funds.
Attorney Nash Campbell, representing Under the Oaks, told commissioners the funding was secure and that school leaders did not believe their enrollment would threaten the federal desegregation order, stemming from a 1963 civil rights case.
“The desegregation issue is…a very hard issue to come over, and it will be the first one of its kind in front of this commission,” Campbell said. “We’ve had to do a lot of research to be able to just jump into the deep end on this.”
There are no charter schools in Huntsville.
Campbell said they were currently working through decades of court filings but hoped to have a request in front of a judge within a month.
After questioning Campbell, commissioners declined to grant the extension, effectively revoking the school’s conditional approval.
In other action, the commission removed a corrective action plan from Freedom Prep Academy in Birmingham. The school opened last year with fewer students than projected but has 178 students in kindergarten through second grade enrolled this fall, according to data presented at the August meeting.
Members also elected leadership for the coming year: Sheila Austin was re-elected chair, Cynthia McCarty was chosen as vice chair and Ryan Kendall was re-elected treasurer.
The commission oversees 14 charter schools statewide, including two that opened this fall: Independence Prep in Fairfield and I Dream Big in Tuscaloosa. Its 13 members are appointed by state leaders, including the governor, lieutenant governor, Speaker of the House, Senate President pro tem, and the House and Senate minority leaders.
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