PORTLAND, Ore. -- A school board subcommittee is recommending shutting down the Leadership and Entrepreneurship public high school -- one of the Portland School District's seven charter schools.

What makes the decision difficult is that school district superintendent agrees that the LEP high school is doing a good job educating high school students.

The staff has been working hard for almost three years in a rented two-story building on East Burnside Street and 20th Avenue.

Students in one class were working on the presentations they were planning to make for internships at Portland businesses.

The school principal said the student test scores are improving each year, which is significant because a large percentage of the students are low income and some come from foster homes.

A teacher said the kids at the LEP charter school aren't getting their fair share of state funds, passed through the Portland School District for charter schools.

If the charter is not renewed, 240 students will have to find another school.

"A large piece of why we're having these financial problems is because of the funding in equity of PPS. Us being a charter school, we receive much less funding per student than any other public school, and when we're giving such a great value and when we're doing so much for the district, it's frustrating to me that the district can easily close us rather then work with us and try to keep this program going," Teacher Adam Reid said.

But a school district spokesman said a recent audit found a more than $143,000 deficit at LEP. Expenses include a long term note for more than $180,000, and shortages for PERS retirement funds and other unpaid bills.

School supporters said those numbers are much smaller.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the LEP school charter March 30. The principal said they are continuing to search for money to finish the school year and start a new one next fall.

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