Gallup-McKinley County Schools announced the termination of its contract with Stride/K12 in special meeting held May 16. The termination will take effect June 30.
The purpose of the contract was to provide an online learning program to serve students and parents who needed additional educational options. The district has provided the company with extensive documentation of material breaches of contract, including academic underperformance, non-compliance with special education law, and reporting failures.
Our students deserve better,” School Board President Christopher Mortensen said during the May 16 special meeting. “This action is not sudden; it is the result of months of effort to address persistent issues with the contractor. We are taking this step to protect our students, uphold academic standards, and meet our obligations under state and federal law.”
The School Board unanimously voted to end the contract. The Board also voted to authorize the school district’s attorney to invoke the arbitration provision under the contract to recover damages caused by the vendor’s material breaches of the contract.
Attorneys for Stride/K12 filed a motion May 16 for injunctive relief and a temporary restraining order halting the Board’s termination action. The Court in Aztec, New Mexico, denied the motion in an early morning hearing.
In a May 16 press release, the district stated it will work closely with families to ensure a smooth transition to the new online learning program.
This is a developing story.
