A Big Island public charter school that was shut down by a state oversight panel last month has been given new life by a judge's ruling and expects to hold classes in August.

The state Charter School Review Panel on June 18 had revoked the charter for Waters of Life Public Charter School, citing "ongoing problems and deficiencies" at the school, including "a historical pattern of financial instability and poor fiscal management" and repeated issues with school facilities.

But Circuit Judge Glenn Hara reversed the review panel's decision in Hilo on Wednesday, noting that the state Board of Education failed to make rules for probation and revocation of charters for charter schools.

The Waters of Life School's skeleton staff of four was bustling yesterday to get things ready for an Aug. 3 resumption of school, said Suzanne Maisenbach, the school's business manager.

The Waters of Life local school board will meet today," board member Jo Ann Medeiros said. Issues include approval of a new school director, replacing teachers who left the school because of its uncertain future, and signing new leases with two churches that provide meeting space for the school in Kea'au and Mountain View.

The school had 185 students, 10 teachers and four teacher's aides at three Puna locations last school year.

Former school Director Katheryn Crayton-Shay yesterday said she hopes Waters of Life's experience will result in the state Board of Education creating rules for putting a charter school on probation or revoking its charter.

Ruth Tschumy, vice chairwoman of the state Charter School Review Panel, defended the panel's action, saying that "by law and by its own internal operating procedures," it "has the authority to grant charters and, in extreme cases, to revoke charters."

Tschumy said the judge's ruling was on the "technicality" that there aren't Board of Education rules about revoking a school charter.

Waters of Life opened as a public charter school in 2000 and has moved from more than half a dozen locations.

In June 2008, the review panel put the school on probation and sought remedies for a list of issues, including the inability to account for more than $800,000.