WASHINGTON (AP) – A Washington charter school board has voted to allow a California nonprofit to open up to eight charter schools in the District.

The D.C. Public Charter School Board voted unanimously to allow Rocketship Education to open up to eight schools by 2019. The schools would serve as many as 5,200 students. The board also moved to shrink one charter school, allow another to be acquired and close a third if it fails to show improvement over the next few months.

The Washington Post reports (http://wapo.st/15NPL4A) the board authorized Rocketship to open two schools with 650 students each at first, and could expand to eight schools if the first schools perform well. — Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)