Hearings for an appeal of a state decision to close Carrboro’s PACE Academy are likely to wrap up Thursday.

One parent advocate for the school explained why she’s fighting to keep it open.

“I’m advocating for PACE Academy on behalf of my son,” said Sherry Mergner, whose 16-year-old son Noah, is enrolled at PACE. He has high-functioning autism.

The State Board of Education has twice revoked the charter for the 11-year-old school, which serves mostly students with special needs. Low attendance is cited as a big reason, along with financial problems and low performance.

But Mergner maintains that PACE Academy is worth saving, based largely on the difference it’s made in Noah’s life.

Before PACE, Noah had attended Chatham County Schools from the age of three, up until middle school.

“We moved him to a charter school in Alamance County, because we felt he’d be better served in a smaller school environment,” said Mergner. “Unfortunately, they didn’t have the kind of special education/exceptional children’s program that we had hoped for.”

So when Noah reached eighth grade, his parents moved him back to Chatham schools, where Mergner said he did “fairly well.” That is, she said, until he reached high school, where more rigorous academics required additional assistance.

“At Northwood [High School], there just wasn’t enough staff to go into the classroom to help Noah,” said Mergner.

Putting Noah on an occupational track at the school resulted in him being bullied by some other students in the program with behavioral problems. Plus, Noah was bored.

“And so we thought that PACE Academy would be better suited for his needs,” said Merger. “He could go into the Future Ready Program, and prepare for college or community college.”

She said the blend of occupational and Future Ready courses was good for Noah, who could now move more at his own pace.

Smaller class sizes and more emphasis on hands-on, tactile and visual learning have also been helpful, she added.

Mergner said her advocacy is not just on behalf of her son, but also for present and, she hopes, future students there.

Without placing blame on either side of the conflict, she cites a breakdown in communication as the main problem.

Shutting down PACE Academy, she said, is not the right answer.

“PACE had a settlement agreement for three years,” she said. “They were only given half a year to prove themselves after that settlement agreement was put into effect. I think that they can prove themselves. I think that there are areas that they can turn around, and really shine in.

“But I think they need support. I think that our Department of Public Instruction needs to advise them.”

The appeal is being heard by Administrative Law Judge Phil Berger Jr.