State Board of Education takes first vote to approve a new charter with unprecedented ties to private equity
The charter will contract out all operations to a for-profit Florida company owned by private investors
AUSTIN, TX – Yesterday the elected State Board of Education took a preliminary vote to approve a new charter school application, Texas High School for Accelerated Learning (THSAL), that plans to initially open two dropout recovery campuses in North Houston in Aldine and Spring ISDs. THSAL representatives confirmed during the public hearing that they will contract out all operations to a for-profit Florida company, Second Mile Education, that is owned by private equity firms.
“The management structure of this charter school is a first in Texas, and every Texas parent and taxpayer should be alarmed,” said Carrie Griffith, Executive Director of Our Schools Our Democracy. “Public schools prioritize student success, but for-profit companies like Second Mile Education and their private equity backers exist to turn a profit. The bottom line is that Texas taxpayer dollars belong in Texas classrooms – not in the pockets of private investors.”
Second Mile Education operates over 20 dropout recovery charter campuses in Florida alone, along with campuses in Georgia and North Carolina. According to public data from the Florida Department of Education, Second Mile’s Florida-based campuses consistently report low graduation and performance rates:
- The average graduation rate in 2024-25 was just 42.15% across 21 Second Mile campuses with available data – 26 points lower than the successful dropout recovery campus in Aldine ISD (one of the two districts targeted by the charter school).
- The average campus “on or above grade level” performance rate was just 18.0% on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) ELA assessment. 20 Second Mile campuses had available FAST ELA results.
- The average campus “on or above grade level” performance rate was just 12.4% on the FAST math assessment. 18 Second Mile campuses had available FAST math results.
Many laws and policies that apply to open enrollment charter schools do not apply to the private, for-profit charter management organization, including open meetings laws and likely open records laws.
While THSAL plans to open its first campuses in North Houston, once a charter school is approved by the SBOE, it can expand anywhere in Texas at the sole approval of the Commissioner of Education once it meets certain TEA requirements.
Board members voted 10-4-1 in favor of the applicant. The final vote will be held on Friday June 26th during the Board’s scheduled meeting.
| Voted yes to approve (10) | Chair Kinsey and Members Francis, Childs, Hickman, Pickren, Young, Ellis, Maynard, Hall, and Little |
| Voted no to veto (4) | Members Reveles, Perez-Diaz, Bell-Metereau, and Brooks |
| Absent (1) | Member Clark |