Washington, D.C. officials recently voted to begin revoking Imagine Southeast’s charter, citing its failure to meet academic achievement expectations as well as four out of five goals in its charter agreement. Opened in 2008, student reading and math proficiency rates at Imagine Southeast are at 37% and 33% respectively, well below the city average of 46% for reading and 49% for math. DCPCSB also said that the school had violated several laws, including laws related to students with disabilities. Last year, St. Louis closed six Imagine schools for poor performance and financial problems.

According to The Washington Post, the decision to close Imagine Southeast provoked strong reactions from parents, students and school leaders, who are pleading for the school to remain open. “The students in the school are not being well served,” said Scott Pearson, executive director of DCPCSB. Pearson said all schools can expect that their performance will be scrutinized as they come up for review. The board reviews each school’s performance every five years. It will hold a hearing within 45 days before making a final decision on Imagine Southeast. Read the full article in The Washington Post.