In one of the shortest public exchanges between the school district and administrators of the district's only charter school, trustees agreed to accept a resolution from El Portal Leadership Academy administrators relinquishing the school's charter.

Last month, Gilroy Unified School District trustees voted to take the necessary steps to revoke the charter for El Portal - operated by the Mexican American Community Services Agency - citing the school's administrators' failure to submit balanced budgets, failure to meet enrollment commitments, fiscal mismanagement and violation of laws. A district investigation conducted earlier this year revealed poor academic performance and the misappropriation of about $140,000 of the school's teachers' retirement accounts, which was scheduled to be paid back in full by this month.

"It is with a heavy heart that MACSA will not be countering the notification of revocation," wrote MACSA Chief Executive Officer Olivia Soza-Mendiola in a letter to Superintendent Deborah Flores. "MACSA is electing to relinquish the El Portal Charter Petition."

Soza-Mendiola refused to comment following Thursday night's public hearing.

"I think you've made the right decision," Flores said to El Portal administrators. "This is like a grieving process and we're sorry about that. But the program was not serving students well in the academic arena."

As opposed to two other crowded meetings on the subject that ran for hours as students and teachers took their turn at the microphone, telling stories of success at El Portal and pleading with trustees not to close their school, the public hearing was brief, lasting only an hour, with half a dozen students and teachers joining the school's administrators in the audience.

Flores and trustees began mapping out a course of action to accommodate the 130 El Portal student who will be integrated into district schools in the fall, including meeting with parents, assessing the academic capabilities of the students and placing them in one of several district high schools.

El Portal Principal Graciela Valladares said it was her goal to make her students' transition to district schools a positive one.

"I want to be a part of the transition," she said. "I want to help these students. I know my students."

Valladares and other school staff listed several concerns their students expressed, including transportation, safety and the mental health of the students.

"I suggest you take a serious look at having someone look at kids closely who may be on suicide watch," El Portal teacher Doug Reynolds advised the board.

Some El Portal students don't feel safe getting to or attending other district schools, he said.

Flores assured El Portal staff that the students would be closely monitored during and after the transition.

"If a students doesn't feel safe at (Gilroy High School), we're going to facilitate them going to another high school," Flores said. "There's not a question about that. Safety comes first."

She said she was concerned that any student might be so upset as to consider suicide and advocated for designating a staff member at each district high school to get to know each El Portal student by name.

Flores and trustees said they welcomed future collaboration and input from MACSA.

Unlike previous meetings centered around the charter school, trustees had little to say, other than commending MACSA for their success in running other programs serving youth.

"I would like to acknowledge the leadership you have shown in this very difficult time," trustee Mark Good said.

The school board will take action June 18 after they receive an official resolution passed by MACSA's board relinquishing the charter.