First in July, Judge Mathew gave Connections Academy the green light to keep operating, at least for one more semester, while the lawsuit goes through the court. Then, in September, lawyers for New Mexico Connections Academy shared with Judge Mathew what they considered to be a series of missteps on the part of the Public Education Commission. As reported in the Santa Fe New Mexican on October 11, a key grievance was the fact the education department had only used one standard as a performance measure when they recommended that its charter not be renewed. Additionally, Connections Academy lawyers argued that following the school’s appeal of the closure order, the department had failed to decide the matter within a 60-day deadline.

While an attorney representing the Public Education Department argued that the real issue is the educational welfare of students, Judge Mathews did not buy their counter-argument. In a three-page ruling dated September 28, Judge Mathews  described the education department’s failure to renew Connections Academy’s charter as “arbitrary, capricious and otherwise not in accordance with law.”

For now, it is business as usual at New Mexico Connections Academy, although the legal scandal has negatively impacted the school’s enrollments numbers for the 2018-2019 school year. What the Public Education Commission does next is still uncertain. According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the commission’s members planned to meet on October 12 to discuss how to proceed. Among the pressing items on the commission’s agenda will likely be their future control over virtual charter schools. After all, Judge Mathew’s ruling didn’t simply save one virtual charter from closure but also sent out a clear message to public school officials: Virtual charters may be eligible for public funding, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are under the full control of the state’s public education department.