#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
NC charter school employees plead guilty to theft and embezzling taxpayer dollars
According to court records, Caudill and White falsified student enrollment records for the 2020-21 school year to report more than 60 students the school didn’t have. Court records say the duo kept the inflated figures secret from other school employees by keeping two separate systems for recording enrollment.
Quest Academy Charter School in St. Louis Park to close
Pillsbury United Communities (PUC), the charter authorizer for Quest Academy in St. Louis Park, says it plans to terminate Quest Academy’s contract because it has failed to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management.
State Education Department fails to turn over charter schools data to Minnesota Star Tribune
The Star Tribune requested data last February. The agency still hasn’t turned over more than 2,000 files.
School director, finance officer plead guilty to embezzlement
The former director and former finance officer of the now defunct Bridges Academy in State Road have pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from the charter school.
When Minnesota charter schools fail, vulnerable students pay the price
Hundreds of Minnesota students are caught up each year in the often sudden shuttering of charter schools. School leaders say the closings create a cycle that sets more schools and students up for failure.
Turmoil at Lionheart Academy Endangers Charter School
But now, the K-7 charter school is in danger of financial collapse after questionable board deals that were hidden from the public, according to Lionheart founder Fred Ward.
Most Minnesota charter schools are failing to make good on their promises
Minnesota created charter schools to be more independent than their public school counterparts, allowing them to innovate and better help struggling students. But the lack of oversight often leads to financial mismanagement and fewer resources when things go wrong.
Virtual Charter Schools: Actually Useless
Peter Greene takes a look at research out of Pennsylvania on virtual charter schools. The results are not great. At all.
Nearly 100 students leave charter school, return to Rutherford County school system
“The opening of RCP [Rutherford Collegiate Prep] has been a disaster,” said Lea Maitlen, parent of a recent RCS graduate. “On the very first day, multiple children were lost by the school for hours as parents became increasingly frantic. One parent referred to the day as ‘apocalyptic.’”
All-charter no more: New Orleans opens its first traditional school in nearly two decades
In August, more than 300 students started the school year in the first traditional school run directly by the New Orleans school district since 2019. It’s the first time the district has opened its own school since Hurricane Katrina swept through the city nearly two decades ago.
School board chair of Union Charter that suddenly shut down gives more details
WBTV was at the school Wednesday morning, as parents lined up to get transcripts, medications, and fees refunded. Many came with lots of questions for the staff but were met with a “business-like” transaction.
AFT, lawmakers seek state audit of charter schools in Missouri
Cummings said charter schools should be held to the same standard as public schools. In the August letter, Cummings and others said auditing charter schools is necessary due to lingering questions about what happens to the millions of dollars provided to charter schools and other items purchased after charter schools close.
Experts question performance, accountability of virtual charter schools
“Virtual school performance remains poor, little if any research supports the claimed benefits of virtual schooling, and state regulatory policies are still inadequate,” the policy center reported. “Nonetheless, the unsupported claims are widely believed and virtual schools continue to proliferate.”
Twin Cities charter school fraud took place under direction of school’s current leader, former employees say
The Minnesota Internship Center had 4% attendance and 5% graduation rates, while its leader took co-workers to Topgolf, according to state records and interviews with school insiders.
17 years after indictment, California Charter Academy case unresolved
Former Hesperia mayor Honeycutt and charter school founder Cox were indicted on Sept. 4, 2007, charged with misappropriating $5.5 million in charter school funds. Seventeen years later, they haven’t stood trial or accepted a plea deal.
