HOUSTON—Early next month a simple complex on the La Porte Freeway will host HISD’s newest charter school. 

It will be called the Houston Advantage East End High School.  The facility will be publically funded, privately run and will serve up to 450 students who struggle in traditional school settings.

“You’ve got to have an alternative setting or else they will never get through high school.  And if they don’t get through, they’re sitting on the sidewall somewhere not working. We can’t have that,” said Terry Abbott with HISD.

It’s intended to fill the void left by nearby ALTA academy, which closed its doors for good last month.

“Well, ALTA ran into financial troubles, and that will happen from time to time with charter schools,” said Abbott.

But ALTA wasn’t just any charter school. 

In November 2006, former staff members claimed the school was inflating its attendance figures to collect more money.

In April of last year, HISD sanctioned the school for inflating attendance by more than 200 students and ALTA was required to repay $350,000 to the district.

11 News tried to find out if HISD’s sanctions played a role in the decision to close the school, but we were told that Roberto Gonzalez, the man whose company ran the school, is out of the office until next week.