Carrboro’s charter school, PACE Academy, will keep its doors open after all.

The News and Observer reports, just three days before the school’s charter was to expire, the State Board of Education has renewed the charter after a successful appeal by the school.

PACE Academy opened in 2004 to serve high school students with learning disabilities or behavioral problems who have not succeeded at traditional schools. More than half of the 169 enrolled have been identified as special needs students.

In December, the state’s Charter School Advisory Board recommended to the North Carolina Board of Education that PACE not have its charter renewed. The CSAB report cited testing noncompliance, fiscal irregularities and low academic performance.

On February 6, the State Board of Education denied the renewal. However, the school filed its appeal with the Office of Administrative Hearings the next day.

PACE said the State Board did not properly communicate with the school in order to warn it of ongoing issues.

Judge Don Overby ruled on the case. In the settlement, the school agreed to address any outstanding issues. School officials are having a board retreat in August. There also must be clear communication between the Department of Public Instruction and the school going forward.