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A proposed charter school catering to trauma-sensitive youths and affiliated with an adjacent residential treatment center nixed its plans Friday.

In a letter to the Utah State Charter School Board, Eagle Summit Academy chairwoman Lisa Hales said her board decided to withdraw its application to create a public charter school on the West Ridge Academy campus in West Jordan.

"Though parts of our application process proved stressful and challenging," Hales wrote, "we have learned a great deal and hope to use what we have learned to benefit our respective communities in the future."

Eagle Summit Academy was approved by the state school board in March and was scheduled to open its doors next fall.

The charter planned to replace a private school operated by West Ridge Academy, a treatment center for troubled youths, and enroll up to 300 students from the center and surrounding areas.

Members of the state school board initially denied Eagle Summit's application in February after alumni accused West Ridge Academy of abusing children.

School board staff investigated the claims, including lawsuits against the treatment center settled out of court, but were unable to substantiate the allegations of abuse, resulting in a 9-4 vote of the board to approve Eagle Summit Academy.

Josh Graham, a former West Ridge Academy student, said it was "fantastic news" that Eagle Summit had withdrawn its application.

Graham testified against the school and treatment center during school board meetings, and has worked to organize other alumni and community members in opposition to West Ridge Academy.

He said those efforts are ongoing with or without the development of a charter school.

"We feel like we have them on the ropes at the moment so we really want to press the advantage," Graham said. "We want to make sure that kids are no longer abused."

Hales did not respond to a request for comment.

The state school board's vote in March included conditions that no private West Ridge Academy funding be allowed to mix with the public, per-student funds of Eagle Summit Academy.

Charter schools are public schools, but operate independent of the state's 41 school districts and are overseen by unelected boards.

School board chairman David Crandall said the charter school's contract was being finalized and no public funding had yet been awarded to Eagle Summit.

He said the school has the option to resubmit its application in the future.

"Whatever it is they decide to do is what they decide to do," he said.

School board member Leslie Castle spoke against the approval of Eagle Summit Academy in March, and said Monday she was surprised by the academy board's decision.

"It appears that they have made a wise choice," she said.

And board member Linda Hansen said "it's probably for the best" that the application was withdrawn due to ongoing questions about the safety and structure of the proposed charter school.

"I had concerns about it from the beginning," she said. "I've kind of learned with charter schools that if there are concerns up front, it's probably not a good idea to go forward."

Twitter: @bjaminwood