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The University Charter School is clear to open as planned after a judge ruled in its favor as the result of a lawsuit filed by the Sumter County Board of Education.

The lawsuit against the University of West Alabama had requested a restraining order to block the charter school from being opened in a facility that had at one time been owned by the Sumter County BOE.  The plaintiffs contended that using the old Livingston High School building for the new charter school violated a 2011 sales agreement between UWA and the Sumter County BOE that the building would not be used for a school not under the control of the county school board. Since the sell in 2011, the building, now Lyon Hall, has been used as the UWA College of Education.

A hearing on the matter was held in Clarke County after a Sumter County judge recused himself. According to reports, the bill of sale did state the agreement regarding usage of the building; however, the deed did not.

UCS is scheduled to open on August 13 and will be the state’s second charter school.

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, July 25 issue of the Demopolis Times.)