Online high school faces closure

Education (MDE) has called for a charter school to be shut down by the organisation that oversees it, notes the Star Tribune.

The MDE says the school, which it claims has graduated students without meeting state requirements, must be closed, or state officials will step in themselves.

BlueSky Online School is still violating the law two years after the state began investigating problems at the public school, officials at the education department said.

State officials have asked the school's authoriser, Novation Education Opportunities, to either terminate or not renew its contract with BlueSky, effectively shutting down the school by this summer.

5 Eyewitness News says it was told by the MDE that this is the first time the state has taken action to close a charter school for not complying with state law.

The publication says it left messages for BlueSky officials and Novation Education Opportunities, but has not heard back.

According to TwinCities.com, a spokesman for BlueSky said the school's board has not had a chance to review the investigation's findings and consult its attorney.

Julie Henderson, the Novation board president, said the non-profit has no comment yet. Novation has until 21 March to respond to the MDE.