Shawgi Tell is an experienced chronicler of charter school shenanigans. In this post, he takes us to South Carolina, the latest stop on the charter scandal tour.
One such recent scandal comes from a charter school in York County, South Carolina called Ascent Classical Academy (ACA) of Fort Mill. In an April 9, 2026, article titled “Parents, lawmakers call for investigation after York County charter school’s funds removed,” WSOCTV informs us that, “Parents and state lawmakers are calling on South Carolina’s governor to launch an investigation into a York County charter school after a board member was accused of removing all of the school’s money from its bank account.”
A letter from the company overseeing the school’s finances explained that, “a member of the governing board… removed all funds from the school’s bank accounts without board approval. This [covert] action eliminated the school’s operating capital and made it impossible for ACA to meet essential obligations” such as payroll. In addition, “all but one of the school’s governing board members resigned.”
The suspicious move “left [parents] wondering whether the school would even reopen after spring break.” Many parents were already aware that teachers and staff at the school were overworked and not supported. They also knew that the school was experiencing financial problems—something common to many charter schools across the country.
This prompted several state lawmakers to call for accountability, transparency, and an investigation into what happened at the school. One parent said, “I hope that they see it through, and I hope the people who have done wrong and hurt all these families and all these kids are held accountable for their actions.”
As always, the main issue here is not that fraud, theft, and corruption occurred at this or that charter school. Such crimes have long been entrenched in the charter school sector. They take place all the time. The real issue is why are such crimes allowed to persist decade after decade?