Nia Community Public Charter School

“DC Charter School Head Accused of Embezzling Funds.” AP/NBC4 Washington (DC), 1/29/2013

A co-founder and former executive director of the Nia Community Public Charter School in Washington has been charged with embezzling $29,000 from the school.

The Washington Examiner reports that Monique Murdock wrote five checks to her foster child ranging from $4,000 and $8,000, using school funds in 2008. Court records show the checks were then deposited in a savings account Murdock created for the child. Then all but $100 was transferred to other accounts belonging to Murdock.

Nia Community Public Charter School was located in Ward 7 but closed in 2011 after the D.C. Public Charter School Board revoked its charter.

The charter school board initially placed the school on probation for possible financial mismanagement. A spokeswoman says its charter was revoked as a result of poor academic performance.

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”School board votes to pursue closure of two D.C. charters.” The Examiner (Washington, DC), 3/30/2011

The D.C. charter school board voted Tuesday night to move forward in closing Nia Community and Ideal Academy, charters that have not following the academic programs they proposed, the board said…

Board members said Nia's charter is on the chopping block because it failed to design and implement the educational program it described in its application, and failed to meet student achievement goals.

Nia also has not complied with federal requirements for educating special-education students, and did not submit an annual report in compliance with the School Reform Act…

Both Nia and Ideal have 15 days to request a public hearing before the board's final vote. A charter going through the process has never remained open, spokeswoman Audrey Williams told The Washington Examiner.