The fate of the Patrick Henry Charter School Initiative is going down to the wire.

Facing a May 19 deadline for approving or declining the application, the Richmond School Board yesterday had its first opportunity to ask questions about the proposal for what would be the city's first charter school. After a two-hour session, the board scheduled a special meeting to hear more.

The board and representatives from the charter school group will meet in public session May 15 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the School Board conference room at City Hall.

A school administration committee headed by Yvonne Brandon, the associate superintendent for instruction, has been reviewing -- and re-reviewing -- the application for the elementary school since October. At the School Board's April 21 meeting, the committee recommended more work on the proposal. That recommendation set in motion a 30-day period for voting on the application.

Brandon listed five areas of continuing concern: curriculum, enrollment, accountability, special education and the budget.

Richard Day, head of the group that wants to create the school in the vacant Patrick Henry Elementary building on Semmes Avenue in South Side, said he's ready to "fill in those holes" and looks forward to a vote.

But those holes present a challenge, said Wade Ellegood, Richmond Education Association president. "If you can come in and help us, I'm all for it," he said. "But I'm opposed if it doesn't meet state standards."

If approved, the public charter school would be funded by the city and state but would also rely on grants and other contributions for some operating expenses.

It would become Virginia's fourth charter and its first not specifically geared to at-risk students. The proposal calls for a focus on environmental awareness.

Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or zreid@timesdispatch.com.