ENCINITAS: TIP Academy charter school, an experiment in accelerated education for about 280 children in Encinitas, was shut down last night by its sponsor, the Encinitas Union School District.

Its closure takes effect today.

The two-year-old academy has been under a cloud of allegations of financial mismanagement, conflicts of interest, violations of the state's open-meeting laws and other misconduct.

Most of the allegations had fallen heavily on Mike and Deborah Hazelton, the husband-and-wife team that ran the school until they were fired by TIP's board this summer.

The reconstituted board of directors for the school took several other steps to meet demands by the district. Encinitas Union trustees, who voted 4-0 last night to revoke TIP's charter, said the academy did not act quickly or forcefully enough given the gravity of the allegations.

Lisa Corr, an attorney representing the academy, said the district was punishing children, teachers and parents for the misconduct of individuals who are long since gone.

TIP Academy's board of directors is expected to decide as early as today whether to appeal the district's decision to the county Board of Education. The charter school also can appeal to the state. –B.L.