AUSTIN, Texas – Officials with a San Antonio public charter school district presented their case Friday before state education officials to have the campus reopened.
San Antonio School For Inquiry and Creativity District officials appeared in a hearing before the Texas Education Agency in Austin two days after officials ordered the campus closed until further notice over concerns about employee fingerprinting requirements and "serious ongoing food safety issues."
"We feel very confident in what we presented today in regards to the health inspections," SASIC school board president Denise Fritter said. "We've had numerous health inspections. We have passed them with a better than a 95 percent score with each health inspection."
Health inspection reports from August 2016 indicate that rats were spotted in the cafeteria and food was being served despite no hot water.
Fritter said the issues have been addressed and district leaders are confident that the school is safe.
"Our intention is to work with TEA during spring break," she said. "And after spring break, our intention is to have the doors open."
It's up to the TEA commissioner to decide whether to reopen the district.
"If the commissioner were to decide that enough evidence was presented that could change his mind, then he could certainly make that option," TEA spokeswoman Lauren Callahan said. "But he also could decide that whatever was presented to him did not change his mind, and his decision to close the charter immediately would stand."
Callahan said there is no timeline for the commissioner to make a decision.