JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- At a special Duval County School Board meeting Monday morning was called to determine the future of Patterson Academy of the Arts, the board voted to terminate the charter school's contract and close the school.

The 6-1 vote came down to close the school following emotional pleas earlier Monday from students and parents to allow the school to remain open.

The school has been closed since it was evicted Nov. 13 from its rented space on the second floor of an office building on Arlington Expressway. Duval County school officials have been working to relocate 73 students to other magnet schools or their neighborhood schools.

In addition to the school being $60,000 behind on rent, its 12 teachers did not receive paychecks last month. Duval County school officials said Patterson received a $250,000 start-up grant over the summer and has received $250,190 in additional funding since July.

Duval County schools Executive Director Sonita Young wrote a letter Nov. 3 to the president and chairman of Patterson Academy concerning its deteriorating financial condition.

On Nov. 17, Duval Schools Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals said the board sent a notice to the school recommending it terminate the school's contract. The academy was advised to submit a comprehensive action plan to operate the school in a "fiscally sound manner."

School officials, including Devondalyn Patterson Hughes, the school's principal, said they do not have the 250 students enrolled that they expected, which has not allowed them to pay the rent. They said they would work with a management company that could help them recruit more students but it would take about three years to make the business succeed.

However, because nothing was yet in writing, the school board was hesitant, knowing the students have already missed seven days of school.

Students and parents asked the school board in Monday's meeting for another chance to keep the school open.

"For ya'll to close the school down, I don't know what I'd do, because I don't want to go to any other public school because they don't give you the necessary things that I need," student Destiny James said as she came to tears. "I love Patterson Academy and I stand behind it 100 percent. Thank you."

But the school board had the final say, blaming the school's officials for the poor financial management.

"I'm sorry for the students who seem to love this school," one board member said. "I don't think the school has been accountable to the taxpayers who are funding this school."