Eagle Heights Academy

“Auditor: 'Extensive mismanagement' at Eagle Heights Academy.” The Vindicator (OH), 5/11/10

The Ohio auditor’s office found “extensive mismanagement” at Eagle Heights Academy, Youngstown’s largest charter school, including the failure of the school to pay more than $450,000 in federal taxes.

The audit, released today, also shows the school illegally paid $33,900 to 29 of its employees from a federal grant.

The auditor’s office provided the IRS with information about Eagle Heights’ failure to pay $333,722.34 in federal income tax withholdings and $120,658.92 in Medicare withholdings.

The audit found $707,507 in questionable costs or errors that caused costs to be overstated or understated on federal reports.

“The lack of proper financial oversight at this school allowed for the misspending of tax dollars intended to educate Ohio’s school children,” said Auditor Mary Taylor.

The state Department of Education has ordered the school at 1833 Market St. on the city’s South Side to close by June because it received a rating of academic emergency on each of its last two annual state report cards. An effort is being made to open another charter school at the same location.