NASHVILLE (AP) — The Metro Nashville School Board decided Monday evening to keep a charter school open on a probationary status.

The board, at a special meeting, decided against revoking the charter for Drexel Preparatory Academy which has more than 230 students.

The Tennessean reported earlier Monday the revocation was recommended by the school district's administration, which cited "flagrant disregard for the charter agreement" (http://tnne.ws/vHWFtf).

Complaints against the school include hiring six unlicensed teachers and failing to provide the necessary amounts of instruction for students with disabilities and those learning English as a second language.

May Ridley, the school's executive director, said it doesn't deserve to be closed because its students "are on target, they're reading, they're getting up to grade level."

Had the charter been revoked, the 237 students would have been sent to other schools after the holiday break.

The board, which granted Drexel its charter last year, initially rejected its application, but gave it a second look at the request of state education officials.

Ridley said just two of the nine school board members have visited Drexel. One of them is Ed Kindall, who said he was impressed by the "camaraderie" he witnessed during his visit.

Kindall said before the vote that the board had to decide if the school's violations are excessive enough to warrant shutting it down during the holiday break.

"It's a difficult situation to deal with, especially with the idea of displacing so many children in the middle of the year," he said. "That's a real big concern I have."