Judge halts Mississippi state effort to revoke Canton charter school

Mississippi Judge Puts Canton Charter School Shutdown on Hold

A Hinds County chancery judge has temporarily halted the state’s effort to revoke the charter of SR1 College Preparatory and STEM Academy in Canton, a move that has thrown the fate of the state’s first charter school revocation into legal limbo. On Monday, Judge Tametrice Hodges-Linzey granted the school a temporary restraining order against the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, effectively pausing the closure process for at least a month, Mississippi Today reported.

The legal battle comes after the authorizer board voted on October 26 to revoke SR1’s charter, citing severe financial mismanagement and academic shortcomings. The board mandated that the school cease all operations by the end of the year. But with the court’s intervention, that deadline is now on hold as the school fights to keep its doors open. This case marks the first time Mississippi has revoked a school's charter since the state's charter school law went into effect in 2013, making it a significant event for the state's education system.

A Race Against Time and Audit Results

The school’s leadership, represented by attorney Jamie Travis, moved quickly after the board’s decision. On October 30, just four days after the revocation vote, they filed for the restraining order, arguing that the authorizer board was rushing to shut down the school without considering all the facts. Travis contended that the board members had not adequately proven their case for mismanagement, particularly because they were unwilling to wait for the school’s latest audit, which was completed on October 7. That audit, Travis argued, would have cleared up lingering concerns about the school’s finances, Mississippi Today reported.

Judge halts Mississippi state effort to revoke Canton charter school — Photo: wlbt.com

He also claimed that the authorizer board failed to provide the necessary technical support to charter school leaders, a point that became a central part of the school’s defense. The tension between the board and the school leadership escalated on October 28, when the board’s executive director, Lisa Karmacharya, showed up at the school during an internal staff meeting. According to Travis, the school’s CEO, Tamu Green, opened the door for Karmacharya, but she had not been invited, which he described as an example of undue interference.

The authorizer board, however, countered that its actions were well within policy. State law and agency policy allow board staff to conduct on-site inspections of schools, especially during a charter revocation process. Karmacharya told Mississippi Today that she felt it was crucial for school staff to gain clarity about the board’s decision to revoke the charter. The board’s policy mandates that close-out procedures begin within a day of a revocation vote, including meetings to review financial records and notify parents and staff.

The Financial and Academic Collapse of SR1

The revocation vote was not taken lightly. The authorizer board had been monitoring SR1 for years, and its problems ran deep. Mississippi Today reported that the board had waited four months since a May 14 hearing, presided over by hearing officer Kim Turner, an assistant attorney general, to take final action. Turner had recommended the board revoke the school’s charter due to “numerous instances of noncompliance with federal law, state law, and the terms of its 2020 contract.” She concluded that such a decision would be “neither arbitrary nor capricious.”

Mississippi board takes step toward ending Canton charter school’s authorization

The evidence presented at that hearing painted a grim picture. SR1, which opened in 2023 with a focus on STEM education, had struggled from the beginning. The school had over-projected its enrollment every year since it opened. In its first year, it requested money to serve 150 students but only enrolled 12. It spent $816,725 that year, which breaks down to about $68,060 per student—five times what the average Mississippi school district spends.

WLBT reported that the board cited both low academic performance and fiscal management problems as reasons for the closure.

Struggling Canton school loses its charter — Photo: newsbreak.com

The Human Toll and the Battle for Appeal

Dorlisa Hutton, the school’s vice president and wife of CEO Tamu Green, made a final plea to the board before the vote, asking them to hold off until the audit results were in. She also asked the board to release $300,000 in frozen start-up funding, arguing that returning the school to good standing would allow it to build the facilities its students deserved and attract investment.

“It means the chance for Mississippi’s first college prep and STEM charter school serving children of whom nearly nine and 10 are economically disadvantaged to become the first charter school in this state to earn an A,” Hutton said, according to Mississippi Today.

“The record established this revocation proceeding did not arise from one isolated event. Rather, these proceedings were initiated following years of notice, monitoring…”
Kim Turner, Hearing Officer and Assistant Attorney General, as reported by Mississippi Today

Now, the legal battle moves to Hinds County Chancery Court. Judge Hodges-Linzey will need to rule on whether to overturn the authorizer board’s decision. Appeals of agency decisions are limited to specific criteria in Mississippi, and Travis must prove that the board’s decision was arbitrary, capricious, unsupported by fact, exceeded its authority, or violated the school’s constitutional rights. The legal arguments will likely hinge on whether the board followed proper procedure and whether the evidence truly warranted such a drastic measure.

What Happens Next in Canton

Families and staff at SR1 are left in uncertainty. While the judge’s ruling provides a temporary reprieve, the school’s long-term future remains in jeopardy. The next step is a hearing where Hodges-Linzey will review the case more deeply. In the meantime, the school is still legally allowed to operate, giving families and educators a brief window of stability.

For the students of SR1, the outcome will determine whether their school stays open or closes, as the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board has voted to revoke its charter.

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