PMSD Statement:

Charter Appeal Board affirms PMSD Board of Education Denial of Charter for Summit Charter School

February 21, 2023

Today, the State Charter School Appeal Board denied the appeal filed by Summit Charter School and affirmed the decision of the Pocono Mountain School Board to deny the charter application for Summit Charter School. We appreciate the time and thoughtful consideration the Appeal Board gave this very serious matter. 

We feel the briefing and argument presented before the Appeal Board, along with the certified record of the application hearings and the district’s administrative review of Summit’s Charter Application, conclusively showed the Charter Application contained significant deficiencies under the law and failed to demonstrate a complete, appropriate and standards-aligned curriculum and planned instruction for students in all grades as required by Chapter 4 of the State Board of Education regulations and the Charter School Law.

The Appeal Board’s decision validates the Pocono Mountain School Board’s decision to deny a Charter for the Summit Charter School and the appropriateness and thoroughness of the district’s review process.