SUN: Baltimore County school board revokes Puzzle Pieces charter in unanimous vote

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD (WBFF) — The Baltimore County Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to revoke Puzzle Pieces Learning Academy’s charter after the school failed to secure a new building, dealing another setback to an academy already embroiled in controversy over its finances and leadership.

The decision follows a Baltimore Sun investigation that revealed the school’s executive director, Chizarra Dashiell, made misleading claims about her criminal and financial background on the charter application. The school also had been evicted from its proposed location, prompting the board in June to postpone its opening until the 2027-28 school year rather than revoke its charter.

That reprieve came with a condition: Puzzle Pieces was required to submit a proposed lease agreement for a new location by Sept. 30. It failed to do so. Instead, the school’s officials asked for a one-time, 30-day extension to acquire that lease.

When notified of the district’s intent to recommend revocation of the charter, the school responded with more documentation, said Jennifer Mullenax, Baltimore County’s chief academic officer. But among the paperwork submitted before and after the Sept. 30 deadline, Puzzle Pieces did not provide a proposed lease agreement, she added.

Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun.