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The Media Arts Academy in the city of Hawthorne lost its charter status on July 1st due to a disputed technicality. Popularly known as Hip Hop High, the school’s administrators say that the Centinela Valley Union High School District miscalculated the previously agreed upon five-year charter. The academy was originally granted a contract to operate in 2003 but did not open its doors to students until the 2004 school year. The disputed sentence of the agreement between the school and the district reads, “The term of this charter shall begin on the first day of instructional operations and expire five years thereafter.” District officials contend that Hip Hop High’s charter expired this year, while the school’s administrators say that they did not apply for renewal since the expiration should be set for next year. Hip Hop High served 140 students from the surrounding community of which some were failed by the district’s other public schools. Hip Hop High earned its namesake by offering a core curriculum supported by culturally relevant teaching tools such as rap and spoken word. Last year saw the school’s Academic Performance Index rise more than 150 points. The district is currently engaging in talks with lawyers for Hip Hop High and a decision on a possible compromise is expected later this week.

GUEST: Jennifer Murphy, Principal of the Media Arts Academy Centinela, Michael Jones, and Amanda Ordaz, students at “Hip-Hop High.” For more information visit www.maac.com.