The leaders of Montgomery County’s only charter school don’t seem ready to go down without a fight.

Superintendent Thomas Taylor is pushing for Mecca Business Learning Institute’s closure, pointing to failures to serve students with special needs, enrollment declines and violations of federal privacy law.

He asked the Montgomery County school board to vote next month to revoke the campus’ charter.

Faced with that existential threat, charter school officials want to take their case to the Maryland State Board of Education. They’ve filed a petition asking for an impartial review of the situation.

The school ”will continue to pursue all appropriate remedies under Maryland law to ensure that our students, families, and staff are protected and that the Charter Agreement is honored,” officials wrote in a statement shared with The Banner.

Neither the state education department nor MBLI leaders provided The Banner with a copy of the petition. Charter officials said they will not comment beyond their statement.

Charter leaders acknowledged challenges during their first few months of operation. They said they’ve worked hard to meet state and federal requirements.

“Our commitment to students and families remains steady and unwavering,” they wrote.

But district administrators have outlined a litany of problems with their operations, leading to Taylor’s recommendation that the school close.

District officials said they found widespread issues with the school’s processes for serving students with disabilities, such as failures to provide timely special education services, retain qualified personnel and offer psychological services.

Charter leaders argue that these problems stem from students’ prior public schools.

On Nov. 14, Taylor gave charter officials a 15-day deadline to present a plan for correcting the special education issues. They failed to meet it, he said.

Charter officials say they have since developed an action plan and will be submitting it.

“Before December 1, MBLI was not provided written findings or directives and therefore could not submit a [corrective action plan] earlier, despite public statements to the contrary,” their statement reads.

Should the state board decide to get involved, members will have to parse through dueling narratives as presented by MCPS leadership and the officials who run the district’s sole charter school.

Charter school problems

Mecca Business Learning Institute owes its presence in Montgomery County to state intervention.

The county school board initially rejected its charter application, pointing to concerns about facilities and transportation. After a successful appeal, the state education board directed the district to reverse course.

Charter schools — which are publicly funded but privately operated — have struggled to establish themselves within the county. The district approved its first public charter school in 2011, but the campus floundered financially. It transitioned into operating as a private school instead.

Statewide, disputes over how charters are funded have dragged on for years.

Beyond any question of finances, a unique set of circumstances fueled MBLI’s difficulties this year.

It was originally slated to open at a campus in Germantown, but construction delays forced the school to launch at a temporary space in Bethesda, roughly 20 miles from where many of its students live.

Then it ran into issues with its yellow bus vendor, making it even harder for families to get their kids to school. This dynamic contributed to an enrollment nosedive.

The school originally expected to serve 250 students in sixth and seventh grades. Only about 100 children are still enrolled.

Its leaders also ran afoul of student privacy laws when communicating with a reporter at The Banner.

These factors — and more — will be debated in the coming weeks. It’s unclear when or if the state board will take any action.

Taylor plans to submit his formal recommendation to the MCPS board today. It’s expected to come up for discussion at the board’s Jan. 8 work session. He wants the board to vote on Jan. 22.

At that time, charter leaders will get the chance to present their side.