Students are dismayed with change to alternative school that concentrated on the arts.
Jon
SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield School District will move to end the charter school designation for the Academy of Arts and Academics, an alternative high school also known as A3.
The district intends to eliminate the high school’s independent, 10-person governing board, giving the district staff and its board complete oversight of the school in downtown Springfield. A3 administrators no longer will oversee staff contracts or evaluations, financial allocations or be able to make decisions regarding programs or services at the school.
The school with about 300 students has been reeling for nearly two weeks since the disclosure of allegations that its former principal, Mike Fisher, had sexually abused a female student for years.
The decision was announced by A3 Governing Board interim president Andy Dey at a regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening following a meeting with Springfield district staff earlier in the day. The two groups agreed that the charter designation will end on June 30 to ensure that students in the current school year will not be affected by the change.
Rosamond Press 
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