TAMPA, Fla. - A legal fight is escalating between the Hillsborough County School District and Walton Academy for the Performing Arts, which continued to operate on Thursday despite a unanimous school board vote ordering its immediate closure.

The backstory:

Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Van Ayres had recommended the school’s closure after what he described as ongoing and unresolved security failures.

Safety concerns at Walton Academy were first flagged last spring, according to the district. Officials say issues have continued to mount since then. It's why the board voted on Tuesday to terminate the charter of the school, which has served Tampa students for 21 years, and relocate its 118 students.

The small charter school with a focus on performing arts has faced scrutiny in

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