#ANOTHERDAYANOTHERCHARTERSCHOOLSCANDAL
Dozens of Pa. charter schools among recipients of federal small business aid
Dozens of Pennsylvania charter schools received PPP loans, including: Pa. Leadership and Pa. Virtual cyber charter schools; an organization linked to Chester Community Charter School; I-Lead; KIPP; Esperanza; and Franklin Towne.
Firing of Principal Raises Concerns for Charter School’s Future
The termination of a principal at The Ethical Community Charter School has outraged parents and students and has many fearing the school may not survive.
Marta Bergamini, who was principal for 11 years, was relieved of her duties on June 29 with several board members claiming they were not able to come up with an agreement on her contract which was due to expire the following day.
APS shuts down beleaguered Aurora Community charter school
Aurora Public Schools opted to shutter a nascent north Aurora charter school this week after a year of uncertainty and — former employees have said — chaos.
The APS school board unanimously voted June 30 to revoke its charter with Aurora Community School, a school that struggled to build its own school location and, in the 2019-2020 school year, was operating out of a Crowne Plaza hotel in Denver and then a church.
EDITORIAL: City schools trapped in spiral
York City School District is trapped in a death spiral.
It’s stuck under years-long state management that limits how money can be spent. Charter schools are annually sucking more than $25 million from its budget. Miserly state lawmakers foist the responsibility for funding public education on local officials, thereby fostering a system that rewards students in rich communities and punishes those in poor ones.
St. Louis charter schools under scrutiny for federal coronavirus relief funds and state audit
At least $6.5 million has been paid out to five St. Louis charter school operators in coronavirus federal relief funds through the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to the schools’ records.
Charters deny ‘cherry picking’ students, but data show special ed disparities
Pennsylvania’s charter schools are “gaming the system” to maximize special education payments and then using the money to subsidize their regular operations, costing Pennsylvania taxpayers millions, according to a new study by the advocacy group Education Voters of Pennsylvania.
State audit cites major misspending, conflict of interest at Richard Allen schools
A new state audit of the Richard Allen charter schools includes multiple findings of improperly spent money in 2016-17, and allegations of ethics violations and conflicts of interest that have triggered an ongoing special investigation.
LV charter school alleges it paid $1.6m to Utah management company ‘for nothing’
A contract dispute between a Las Vegas charter school and a for-profit Utah corporation is exposing the financial inner workings of the charter school industry, which involves sending millions of dollars in Nevada tax dollars out of state.
Panel’s recommended name for combined charter school draws quick opposition
An advisory committee is recommending Rose Hill Community School as the new name for the combined middle-high charter school in Albemarle County — a choice that was immediately opposed by area activists because of a connection to a former local plantation.
Bay Area charter schools tap tens of millions in federal small business loans
Charter schools in the Bay Area received tens of millions of dollars from a federal coronavirus relief program intended for small businesses, money they say is necessary to stay afloat amid the pandemic.
Inspire charter school founder received $1 million in payroll advances, report says
The founder and former CEO of Inspire charter schools in California received more than $1 million in payroll advances over the course of a year and a half, according to an audit report released Thursday.
Nevada charter school ends business ties with American Preparatory Schools in Utah
For months, board members requested financial information from the private, for-profit APS, the Utah management company that handles back-office business for the Las Vegas campus.
Denver charter schools got $16 million in federal small business aid
Denver charter schools received a total of $16 million in federal coronavirus relief funds meant to help keep small businesses afloat during the pandemic, according to a memo prepared by Denver Public Schools staff at the request of a school board member.
Education 101: Don’t open a new charter school in the middle of a pandemic
Wake County is not an isolated case; across the country, parents are concerned about charter schools taking a bigger bite out of a public education pie that will likely be smaller due to the economic impact of COVID-19.
Two KIPP schools close abruptly, deserting students and their families
In April, it was announced that KIPP Memphis Preparatory Elementary and KIPP Memphis Preparatory Middle on Corry Road would be permanently closing without notice. Between the two schools, over 650 students have been displaced without so much as a plan or opportunity to rebut the decision.