DaVinci Charter School

“DaVinci Charter School in Garden City to close Friday, impacting 130 students, 18 staff.” Idaho Statesman (ID), 2/19/2013

Due to a budget shortfall, a charter school that has been operating in Garden City since the fall of 2006 will close its doors on Friday, school officials said.

The DaVinci Charter School opened in 2006 as the Garden City Community School — the name was changed because some thought it was a community college, said Director Cindy Hoovel...

Hoovel said the school began in modulars, then moved into a church. It later moved to a strip mall on Chinden Boulevard, but the lease wasn't renewed after a firearms store and brewery moved in nearby. It finally moved to portable trailers on Glenwood Street, across from Hawks Memorial Stadium. The plan was to build a permanent school at that site.

Several things led to the decision to shutter the facility, including unanticipated costs associated with moving to the site, utility installation costs, higher-than-average special needs services costs, and enrollment under 200 students.

... The board paid off remaining bills — it does not have any remaining debt — and opted to close rather than incur operating costs that could not be immediately paid...

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Lee Alternative Charter High School

“Lee Alternative Charter shuts down in Lehigh.” Lehigh Acres Citizen (FL), 1/9/2013

Most of the 149 students at the Lee Alternative Charter School, off of Taylor Lane in Lehigh Acres, are in classes in other schools in Fort Myers this week.

The students and their parents were forced to find other schools because the Lehigh school, which was owned by Richard Milburn Academy Schools of Southwest Florida, was forced to close due to financial problems.

It is the third charter school that is a part of the Milburn Academy of Schools that has been forced to close its doors over the past six months.

The school was located in what had been a multi-screened movie theater and later a church. The building was built about a dozen years ago...

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100 Legacy Academy Charter School

“Fine Print: Newark Charter School Revocation.” NJ Spotlight (NJ), 4/16/2013

What it is: The state Department of Education yesterday released its letter to the 100 Legacy Academy Charter School in Newark, informing the school that its state charter had been revoked after just seven months of operation...

First probation: The middle school opened in August, 2012, with roughly 270 students, part of a partnership with the 100 Black Men of NJ organization. But by January it was placed on probation, after review found the school in violation of state statute in several areas, including special education and required criminal background checks of staff...

Didn’t get better: The state followed up in early February. According to the letter from assistant commissioner Evo Popoff, “This visit confirmed that school conditions had indeed deteriorated, putting at risk not only the safety, well-being and academic progress of students, but also the overall viability of the school.” ...

No comment yet: Efforts to contact the school’s leadership yesterday were unsuccessful, but the school made no mention of the revocation on its website. It said it was accepting applications for next year and also seeking a new principal...

Subject to appeal: The school may challenge the decision to the state appeals court.

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Midlands Math and Business Academy

“After appeals process, Midlands Math and Business Charter will close.” WIS TV (SC), 3/20/2013

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The Richland One School Board voted three years ago to revoke the charter of the Midlands Math and Business Academy. During the appeals process, the school has been operating without a charter. Now the courts have sided with the district, forcing the school to close next week...

The school is tucked inside an old shopping center with 72 students in grades 4 through 8...

The Richland One School Board voted to revoke the school's charter in 2009.

"There were several violations that included academics as well as some staffing issues," said Richland One Superintendent Percy Mack.

Mack says the school did not fulfill the goals set forth in its charter. The district sent in resources to help the school rebound, but Mack says there has not been enough progress...

Parents have less than a week to decide on a new school...

The district says it will stop all funding to the school next Tuesday March 26. The school does have the right to file another appeal but has not made a decision yet.

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Benjamin Mays Preparatory School

“Ben Mays families lament loss of community as charter is pulled.” The Lens (LA), 2/14/2013

[Benjamin Mays Preparatory School] is one of four charters in transition this year. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted in December to strip the school of its charter because of low academic performance. Three other charters, Pride College Prep, Crocker Arts and Technology School and Intercultural Charter School, also were not renewed. But other operators agreed to run those schools, giving enrolled students priority. Though another school will be at the Mays site next year — Akili Academy — Akili is moving from its former location, not expanding, and it will enroll its own students first. That means Mays’ students will be dispersed to schools across the city...

Critics, such as education advocate Ashana Bigard, argue that shuttering schools for any reason uproots families and can be traumatic.

“The whole model of closing and replacing a school is the opposite of stability,” which is key to a child’s success, Bigard said...

Mays principal Shanda Gentry sees the school’s closure as unavoidably disruptive for its enrollment of about 360 students, many of them low-income residents of the nearby Desire neighborhood...

RSD officials, as well as representatives from Akili and other nearby schools, were on hand to answer questions at a Feb. 5 school fair catering to Mays families, but the event was sparsely attended. Kids who don’t make the cut at Akili will face sometimes lengthy commuting times — and in some cases, so will their parents, those who have cars...

“Our population … we’re just as bonded to them as they are to us,” she said. Parents sometimes even ask teachers for help with a utility bill. “ ‘My lights are off. Can you help me? My water’s off,’ ” [Jasmine Graves, who has been a middle-school teacher at Mays] said...

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ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children

“ScholArts charter school to close today.” The Columbus Dispatch (OH), 2/28/2013

A charter school in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood is giving up its legal fight to stay open and will hold its final day of classes today.

ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children dropped its appeal in Franklin County Common Pleas Court yesterday...

The school has received “F” ratings for student performance from the state Department of Education for the past five years. The closing ends legal wrangling that began in October when ScholArts’ sponsor, Kids Count of Dayton, told the school that it would be terminating its sponsorship.

ScholArts owes the state at least $740,000 because the school overstated the number of students enrolled and failed to pay employees’ contributions to the state retirement systems...

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“Charter school gets 30-day reprieve.”The Columbus Dispatch (OH), 11/30/2012 

A struggling Columbus charter school got a one-month reprieve to stay open, but it still might be forced to close just before students return from winter break.

ScholArts Preparatory and Career Center for Children initially was told it wouldn’t be allowed to operate after today. But its sponsor, or overseer, extended the closing date to Dec. 31 after the school offered evidence that it had enough money to stay afloat for another 30 days.

Kids Count of Dayton, the school’s sponsor, decided last month to stop working with ScholArts because of poor financial management...
The school also had not paid its contribution to the state School Employees Retirement System for the 2010-11 school year.

Ohio law requires charter schools to have a sponsor. The only way ScholArts can stay open is if it finds a new one, something that is particularly difficult to do mid-year. In addition to its financial troubles, ScholArts struggles academically...

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“Charter School Trying To DetermineHow $250,000 Disappeared.” 10TV (OH), 9/21/2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Officials at one Columbus charter school were trying to figure out how nearly $250,000 disappeared.

The money was supposed to have been paid into two retirement systems on behalf of teachers and staff at the ScholARTS Preparatory and Career Center for Children, located on East Lexington Avenue.

The charter school is affiliated with the Brookwood Presbyterian Chruch.

Consumer 10 notified ScholARTS’ former treasurer that a police investigation was under way.  On hearing the news, the man told Consumer 10 that he felt “physically ill.”

He said that the money that should have been paid into the retirement funds was used to pay other bills instead...

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Horizon Charter School

“Rocklin Charter School Shuts Its Doors Amid Controversy.” CBS13 (CA), 10/16/2012

ROCKLIN (CBS13) – Six weeks into the school year a charter school in Rocklin is closing its doors. Four hundred kids were told Friday that their school would close, and Tuesday was their last day.

But many parents say the Horizon CEO is making up false excuses for why he’s closing the doors at Horizon’s Accelerated Learning Academy campus. Fired up families were fuming even more Tuesday over what many consider a lame excuse for the shutdown...

“How can you throw 400 families out?” parent Laura Daggett asked.

Horizon CEO Craig Hembichner spoke to CBS13 on Monday and said the urgent campus closure was all because of safety...

But the county told CBS13 its staff did not tell Hembichner he had to shut down anytime soon, not wanting to interrupt the school year.

The county staff also stated they have traffic congestion concerns, but again they say they never told Hembichner he had to shut down.

During a meeting with parents Tuesday night, Heimbichner spent the first 30 minutes of his presentation talking about the history of Horizon Charter Schools before someone finally stood up and yelled for him get to the point.

The angry interruptions became a common theme throughout. Some parents got so frustrated they walked out...

[Heimbichner] said he’s looking for a new facility and in the meantime the kids will have independent study from home.

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“Questionable lease led to Rocklin charter school shutdown.” News10 ABC (CA), 10/17/2012

ROCKLIN, CA - A regional charter school operator signed a 10-year lease for classroom space in a Rocklin industrial center, apparently unaware its new school was prohibited by the local zoning code...

A Placer County business license application filed by GroupAccess president William Brockmeyer in May 2011 claimed the space would be used as a "resource center" with no more than one employee and an average of five clients.

According to the Placer County Community Development Resource Agency (CDRA), the current zoning allows the resource center to legally accomodate 75 students at any one time, but not in a traditional classroom setting.

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Velocity International Science and Technology Academy

“Stockton charter closing after just 10 days.” The Record (CA), 9/20/2012

STOCKTON - With enrollment less than one-third of what was expected, a charter high school that opened only last week in temporary space at Sherwood Mall will shut its doors for the final time Friday after a 10-day run.

The imminent closing of troubled Velocity International Science and Technology Academy leaves about 70 students looking for new schools and six teachers looking for new jobs as September reaches its late stages...

VISTA's brief existence followed a turbulent gestation period. It originally was established by parents and community members who had been affiliated with SECA and had unsuccessfully sought independence from Stockton Unified.

Following the bitter independence struggle, VISTA turned to New Jerusalem. Last month, founding SECA Principal Michael Hall, who spearheaded VISTA's establishment, ceased to be affiliated with the new school. Hall's departure came amid murky circumstances...

In late August, the school fired three teachers and the assistant principal, all of whom had left jobs in Stockton Unified to work for VISTA. Tilton said the school's enrollment was 220, not large enough to sustain a nine-teacher staff and an assistant principal but big enough for six teachers...

On Sept. 9, VISTA's opening day, fewer than 70 students showed up. Tilton and New Jerusalem Superintendent David Thoming said they quickly realized the disappointingly small enrollment would not generate enough revenue - about $6,000 a year for each of the 70 students - to sustain the school...

VISTA originally touted the opportunity it would give its students to graduate with two years of college credits. But no arrangement with college instructors was ever reached, and the fallback plan was to offer those credits through the online Education 2020 software...

"The people who decide they want to start charters, there's a lot of freedom and flexibility ... but a lot of responsibility, also," [Mick Founts, superintendent of the county office] said. "I'm sure everybody involved had the best intentions in mind, but running a school isn't done just by good intentions. It's hard work. I think this is an example where folks didn't understand the challenges of opening a charter."

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Eagle Charter Academy

“Financial problems close three charter schools in Broward.” The Miami Herald (FL), 9/14/2012

Parents, students and teachers are unexpectedly scrambling to find a new school.

The abrupt end was punctuated by locked doors and silence at one school, and with a chaotic gathering of parents and students at another.

But the story at three Broward charter schools was essentially the same on Friday: financial problems had led to closure, leaving parents and students to unexpectedly scramble to find a new place to enroll.

“We should have had way more time to look for other schools for our kids,” said Nicole Williams, whose son Alfonso was a 10th-grader at Eagle Charter Academy in Lauderdale Lakes, one of the three schools now closed. Also closing this week were the nearby SMART Charter School (run by the same company as Eagle Charter), and Touchdowns4life Charter School in Tamarac, which was founded by former Miami Dolphins running back Terry Kirby.

Williams said the school sent her a notification letter on Wednesday...

Broward school district officials said Eagle and SMART shut down because of shrinking enrollment, and district spokeswoman Tracy Clark said Touchdowns4life’s closure was due to “funding” issues — likely also enrollment-related, since charter schools are funded almost entirely based on the number of students who attend...

Annual audits for all three schools show deep financial troubles...

The parent company of Eagle and SMART, according to the most recent audit, owed a $1.2 million debt to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes...

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“Three Broward County charter schools abruptly close.”Sun Sentinel (FL), 9/14/2012

Three Broward County charter schools abruptly closed this week, leaving parents scrambling and exposing a potential dark side to schools designed to be appealing alternatives to traditional public schools.

Touchdowns4Life, a financially troubled school in Tamarac founded by former Miami Dolphins running back Terry Kirby, closed its doors Tuesday. On Wednesday, Eagle Charter Academy and SMART Charter School, both operated by the same company, informed parents they would close their doors and gave parents until Friday to pick up student records...

The sudden closure of the three schools has also raised questions about who oversees them. Neither parents nor the school district, which contracts with the schools, had prior warning, said district spokeswoman Tracy Clark.

In the case of Eagle Charter Academy, its Board of Trustees was also left in the dark.

Some Eagle Charter parents said Friday the curriculum was disorganized this year and their students were doing little or no work...

Angelia Millender, who chaired the Eagle Charter board, which met about two or three times a year, said she didn't get into the daily operations of the school.

She said it didn't even have the authority to hire or fire the principal, which was the responsibility of TechEdventures, a private charter school company, which operated Eagle Academy and SMART Charter School...

... "If (problems) were happening, maybe they were telling someone. They weren't telling board members."

TechEdventures founder and CEO Edward Miller couldn't be reached for comment, despite an attempt by phone...

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“3 Broward Charter Schools Close Their Doors.” NBC Miami (FL), 9/14/2012

Three Broward charter schools closed their doors to students Friday, a day after the school board was notified of the closures...

Eagle Charter Academy has been in the news recently amid allegations former dean Jeffrey London molested at least three boys over an 18-year period. London has pleaded not guilty.

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Touchdowns4Life Charter Middle School

“Financial problems close three charter schools in Broward.” The Miami Herald (FL), 9/14/2012

Parents, students and teachers are unexpectedly scrambling to find a new school.

The abrupt end was punctuated by locked doors and silence at one school, and with a chaotic gathering of parents and students at another.

But the story at three Broward charter schools was essentially the same on Friday: financial problems had led to closure, leaving parents and students to unexpectedly scramble to find a new place to enroll.

“We should have had way more time to look for other schools for our kids,” said Nicole Williams, whose son Alfonso was a 10th-grader at Eagle Charter Academy in Lauderdale Lakes, one of the three schools now closed. Also closing this week were the nearby SMART Charter School (run by the same company as Eagle Charter), and Touchdowns4life Charter School in Tamarac, which was founded by former Miami Dolphins running back Terry Kirby.

Williams said the school sent her a notification letter on Wednesday...

... district spokeswoman Tracy Clark said Touchdowns4life’s closure was due to “funding” issues — likely also enrollment-related, since charter schools are funded almost entirely based on the number of students who attend.

Annual audits for all three schools show deep financial troubles. A June 2011 audit of Touchdowns4life showed the school was nearly $24,000 behind on its rent, was accused of owing $20,000 to the company that supplied its computer equipment, and had been charged more than $4,000 in bank overdraft fees...

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“Broward Charter Schools Closures Reveal Larger Issues.” CBS Miami (FL), 9/16/2012

... CBS 4 spoke to a former teacher at Touchdowns on Saturday.

Bibiana Ortiz spent 15 years teaching at traditional Broward county public schools and it was her first experience with a charter school.

“I wondered why parents were dropping their kids off when there were only two teachers and three classrooms,” she says.

“The math and history teacher was let go on the ninth day.  The principal was let go and myself and one other teacher were left to carry the whole weight.  They didn’t have p.e. and recess was in the parking lot.  We didn’t have supplies or books and we haven’t gotten paid.”...

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“Charter school founded by ex-Dolphin warding off eviction.” Sun Sentinel (FL), 8/16/2011

TAMARAC — A charter school founded by former Miami Dolphins running back Terry Kirby is facing eviction from a strip mall just days before the start of a new school year.

Broward County Judge Robert W. Lee signed an order dated last Friday against the Touchdowns4Life charter middle school, authorizing the school's eviction from 10044 W. McNab Road.

According to the Broward School District, the school reached an agreement with its landlord on Tuesday to ward off the eviction. The landlord could not be reached to confirm the agreement.

Court documents show the school was behind on its rent in the sum of $39,950.20 as of July 12. Rent for July alone was $7,085, although it wasn't clear from the documents whether that included any penalties or fees...

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Crown Ridge Academy

“San Bernardino charter school shut down.” San Bernardino Sun (CA), 9/19/2012

SAN BERNARDINO - More than 100 students who had been attending a charter school for at-risk children stayed home Wednesday, and they won't be going to Crown Ridge Academy ever again.

Neither will the school's teachers, all of whom the charter school director says are owed months of pay without a clear path to collect that money.

The board of the San Bernardino City Unified School District, which allowed the school to open in 2009, revoked the charter Tuesday night after determining that there was no realistic way for the school to dig itself out of a deep financial hole...

A big chunk of the school's problems came from spending a large grant twice, [board president, Steven Bielinski] said, and officials made other mistakes, but those people have been replaced...

It might be worth taking a risk on money coming in if the school were producing good academic results, but its test scores are far below those of other district schools that also serve English-learning students, said board member Judi Penman.

Crown Ridge is the latest charter school in the district to face potential shutdown.

Casa Ramona Academy lost 100 students beginning in the 2010-11 school after complaints of physical problems, inadequate instruction for English learners and classes that didn't qualify students for admission to state universities.

And the Public Safety Academy faced years of complaints about fiscal mismanagement and cronyism until that charter school's founder was removed from the board.

The district approved five-year extensions to the charters of both schools this spring.

[Board member Margaret Hill] worried this could be another stain on the reputation of the district and the city...

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SMART Charter School

“Financial problems close three charter schools in Broward.” The Miami Herald (FL), 9/14/2012

Parents, students and teachers are unexpectedly scrambling to find a new school.

The abrupt end was punctuated by locked doors and silence at one school, and with a chaotic gathering of parents and students at another.

But the story at three Broward charter schools was essentially the same on Friday: financial problems had led to closure, leaving parents and students to unexpectedly scramble to find a new place to enroll.

“We should have had way more time to look for other schools for our kids,” said Nicole Williams, whose son Alfonso was a 10th-grader at Eagle Charter Academy in Lauderdale Lakes, one of the three schools now closed. Also closing this week were the nearby SMART Charter School (run by the same company as Eagle Charter), and Touchdowns4life Charter School in Tamarac, which was founded by former Miami Dolphins running back Terry Kirby.

Williams said the school sent her a notification letter on Wednesday...

Broward school district officials said Eagle and SMART shut down because of shrinking enrollment, and district spokeswoman Tracy Clark said Touchdowns4life’s closure was due to “funding” issues — likely also enrollment-related, since charter schools are funded almost entirely based on the number of students who attend...

Annual audits for all three schools show deep financial troubles...

The parent company of Eagle and SMART, according to the most recent audit, owed a $1.2 million debt to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes...

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“Three Broward County charter schools abruptly close.”Sun Sentinel (FL), 9/14/2012

Three Broward County charter schools abruptly closed this week, leaving parents scrambling and exposing a potential dark side to schools designed to be appealing alternatives to traditional public schools.

Touchdowns4Life, a financially troubled school in Tamarac founded by former Miami Dolphins running back Terry Kirby, closed its doors Tuesday. On Wednesday, Eagle Charter Academy and SMART Charter School, both operated by the same company, informed parents they would close their doors and gave parents until Friday to pick up student records.

All three cited low enrollment as the cause. Neither parents nor the Broward County School District, which issues the charter contract to the schools, say they received any notice before this week that the schools were on the verge of closing...

The sudden closure of the three schools has also raised questions about who oversees them. Neither parents nor the school district, which contracts with the schools, had prior warning, said district spokeswoman Tracy Clark...

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Imagine Schools in St. Louis, Missouri (six-school shutdown)

“Shuttering of Imagine charter schools in St. Louis is daunting.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO), 4/20/2012     

 As they move to close down a network of St. Louis charter schools over the next several weeks, state education officials face a task as monumental and complicated as dismantling an entire school district...

In fact, the decision this week by Missouri's Board of Education to shutter six Imagine charter schools in St. Louis will likely result in the largest charter school closure of its kind nationwide, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools...

A state transition office at Harris-Stowe State University has a transition coordinator and an assistant employed by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The team they are working with includes representatives from the Missouri Public Charter School Association and St. Louis Public Schools...

...The governing board of Confluence Academy, with four charter schools and nearly 3,200 students, is working to cut ties with its for-profit operator, EdisonLearning Inc., to improve academic achievement. Test scores at three of the schools are also below those of St. Louis Public Schools...

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“Missouri calls it quits on Imagine charter schools in St. Louis.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO), 4/18/2012  

The Missouri Board of Education put underperforming charter schools statewide on notice Tuesday by voting to close all Imagine charter schools in St. Louis...

The move follows months of increasing scrutiny of the schools' financial, leadership and academic problems. The schools are operated by Virginia-based Imagine Schools Inc., a for-profit charter school management company. Students enrolled at the schools make up about one-third of the city's charter school population.

State test results from 2011 showed that nearly all students at the city's Imagine schools were performing below grade level in reading and math, prompting St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and Nicastro to call for the closure of the schools.

In December, their sponsor, Missouri Baptist University, announced it would close two of them — Imagine Academy of Academic Success and Imagine Academy of Cultural Arts — this spring, and place the other four on probation.

On Monday, Missouri Baptist University relinquished its sponsorship of the six charter schools, handing all regulatory authority over to the state. And one day later, the Board of Education voted to close them.

But even as the state moves toward shuttering all schools by June 30, some have discussed a long-shot option of keeping some version of the schools open...

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MORE TO READ AT “Missouri closing six Imagine charter school campuses.” Washington Post, 4/18/2012    

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Context Middle School

“Financial woes, doomed charter school.” The Press-Enterprise (CA), 3/11/2012

Temecula’s Context Middle School was billed as a small learning environment where teachers would emphasize how lessons related to the real world.

When it opened in August, the charter school set out to focus on technology and the arts, with dozens of laptops for students and music lessons during and after school.

Less than six months and more than $800,000 in taxpayer dollars later, Context was gone.

It joins a list of 26 other Inland charter schools that have closed or had their charters revoked in the past 20 years. Charter schools, created to foster innovation and freed from some state rules, sometimes struggle with the administrative tasks and finances needed to run a campus, experts say...

Context was plagued by financial problems, mismanagement and infighting that began almost as soon as its doors opened, according to correspondence and financial documents obtained by The Press-Enterprise under the California Public Records Act.

Among the school’s problems:

Context was in the red as early as September, and school officials failed to address financial concerns raised by the Temecula Valley Unified School District. The school’s board missed a deadline to file a required financial report.

Context founder Michele Smith, a parent who worked in consulting but had no education background, was dismissed from the school’s board of directors in October because of concerns over her handling of school finances.

Rita Blickenstaff, Joanne Gilbreath and Robert Heveron, who made up the Context board when it closed, did not respond to numerous phone and email requests for comment.

In a brief interview in early February, Smith said she spent thousands of dollars of her own money to open Context and wasn’t responsible for its financial problems. Smith blamed problems on other board members and the company Context hired to help with business operations.

Sandro Lanni, president of the firm, Charter School Management Corp., did not respond to a phone message seeking comment. In a Feb. 2 email to Temecula Valley officials, he blamed the Context board, saying the firm was “stunned at the continuous awful governance” by the board.

Smith said the Context board would not address problems, and “anything that would allow the process to cure itself they failed to do.” She did not respond to recent messages seeking further comment.

Board minutes and correspondence between Context and the Temecula school district indicate others believe Smith was to blame for the financial problems...

As early as September, the school was having problems balancing its books, district correspondence indicated. By February, Context had less than $10,000 in the bank, documents show...

As board infighting and financial issues continued, parents tried to work with the school board to address the problems but were rebuffed, said Osmana Nagata, who was president of Context’s parent council.

“We were told just shut up and fundraise,” she said last month...

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General John Vessey Jr. Leadership Academy

“Financial woes force West St. Paul's Vessey Leadership Academy to close.” Pioneer Press (MN), 1/3/2012  

Students from General John Vessey Jr. Leadership Academy are hunting for new schools after their 8-year-old charter high school abruptly closed over Christmas break after running out of money.

The mood was glum at the small West St. Paul school Tuesday, what should have been the first day back, as students hugged and said goodbye. It was their last chance to collect belongings before trying to find a new place to attend classes and finish out the school year.

"It sucks," said Mara Jafar of Richfield, who helped her son Cody clean out his locker Tuesday. "It is not exactly an easy transition in the middle of freshman year."...

School officials cited a combination of factors that forced the closure. Leadership and staffing turnover caused enrollment to fall from more than 100 students in 2007 to about 50 this school year...

Vessey had a small niche. It was known for its Junior ROTC program that primarily served students who didn't fit into a traditional school setting because of behavioral or other issues, said Mary Bright, Vessey executive director...

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Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School

"Bethlehem school board accepts Vitalistic's voluntary charter surrender.” The Express Times (PA), 12/10/2012

The Bethlehem Area School Board tonight accepted the voluntary surrender of the charter of a city-based charter school that the board spent months trying to shut down.

Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School of the Lehigh Valley spent months fighting charter revocation proceedings initiated by the Bethlehem Area and Allentown school districts. 

But then in October the charter school announced  "with profound sorrow" that it plans to shut its doors Jan. 25, which marks the end of the first marking period for the sending districts. A revocation hearing scheduled for Nov. 29 was canceled in light of the voluntary surrender of the charter...

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“Bills pile up as Vitalistic charter school's future looks murky; Bethlehem charter school hasn't offered mandatory speech therapy since February, owes creditors $87,531.” The Morning Call (PA), 3/31/2012

Already under two investigations, Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School of the Lehigh Valley is facing mounting financial pressure that has led trustees to raise the specter of closing the school, which serves mostly poor children with learning, emotional and physical disabilities.

Records obtained by The Morning Call show money issues led the Bethlehem school to stop offering legally mandated speech therapy while nearly $9,500 in food vendor bills have gone unpaid and part of a federal education grant was used to pay a utility bill.

More pressing, the school can no longer afford to pay more than $17,000 in monthly rent and maintenance costs at its building on Fourth Avenue in Bethlehem and is looking for cheaper quarters in Allentown, records and interviews show. The Bethlehem building is for sale.

In a March 24 email on moving, board President Joyce Thompson wrote that she and another trustee "were talking about the possibility of having to close the school."...

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“Vitalistic charter school chief resigns,alleging continued financial mismanagement; She alleges continuing financial mismanagement at Vitalistic in Bethlehem.” The Morning Call (PA), 3/28/2012

The top administrator of a troubled Bethlehem charter school resigned Wednesday, alleging that school officials continue to mismanage tax dollars even as two local school districts investigate its finances and loss of a state license to provide students with mental health care.

In her resignation letter, Nancy Egan, chief executive officer of Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School of the Lehigh Valley since 2010, said the board of trustees and other administrators have undermined her attempts to correct years of fiscal mismanagement...

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“State offers to help investigate Vitalistic charter school; Pennsylvania Department of Education offers Allentown and Bethlehem school officials help examining charter's financial and special education records.” The Morning Call (PA), 12/31/2011 

State officials have offered to help the Allentown and Bethlehem Area school districts with their joint investigation of Vitalistic Therapeutic Charter School of the Lehigh Valley.

Bethlehem Superintendent Joseph Roy said Friday his staff "received a very supportive call" from the Pennsylvania Department of Education concerning Vitalistic. He said the state has offered to help the districts analyze the charter's financial and special education records...

The districts' investigation stems from a story in The Morning Call on Nov. 27 that examined Vitalistic's finances and its loss of a state license that served as the cornerstone of its chartered mission to provide poor students with intensive mental health therapy.

Using public records and interviews with state and Vitalistic sources, the newspaper found Vitalistic had improperly lent taxpayer money to its nonprofit sister school, had problems documenting students' special education services, and had repeat violations of its licensed mental health program. Vitalistic billed the state for more than $200,000 in services from the preschool and charter school that auditors could not determine if children and their families had received...

The newspaper's investigation found Vitalistic's board of trustees offered little to no oversight of those funds or management decisions. The story showed Vitalistic had problems administering and documenting whether students received services under a welfare department license to provide outpatient partial hospitalization care, according to audits conducted by Magellan Behavioral Health Inc., a Connecticut-based private managed care company that monitors treatment for people on Medicaid with mental health issues...

The state auditor general's office is also investigating Vitalistic.

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The original story here: “WATCHDOG REPORT: A charter school's troubles emerge; Vitalistic Therapeutic billed state for 'services not rendered' records offer no proof of services to students.” The Morning Call (PA), 11/26/2011  

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REAL Prep Charter Academy

“How REAL Prep charter school spent $450,000 before problems weredetected.” The Oregonian (OR), 9/14/2011

The founder of a proposed Portland charter school was able to spend $450,000 in federal funds with little to show for it by choosing the least-regulated route to creating such a school and papering over problems when overseers checked in.

Erica Jayasuriya, a Portland mom with visions of opening a recording arts-based high school that would transform education for disengaged teens, presided as the team she assembled spent the money on planning, promotion and curriculum design -- without ever mustering enough curriculum, materials, students or equipment to open a school.

No one at Portland Public Schools, which approved Jayasuriya's proposal to open REAL Prep Charter Academy, or at the Oregon Department of Education, which awarded the nonprofit she created two $225,000 grants, took steps to stop her and her team until late August.

By then, 17 months after the money began flowing, the school was weeks from its scheduled opening and the money spent. Jayasuriya's pay took at least $68,000 of it.

State and school district officials say they understand why the public questions their failure to notice problems earlier. But they say failings were hidden from them, in part by misleading information from REAL Prep leaders and in part because Congress specified that charter school starters be allowed control over their grant spending.

"There was nothing that was said and nothing in what they submitted to us that brought our attention that they were not progressing toward opening a high quality charter school," said Susan Inman, the state's director of learning opportunity options.

Three days before school was to start Sept. 12, district officials shut REAL Prep, forcing students to scramble. More than 120 students filled out paperwork showing they wanted to attend, including 48 who officially enrolled.

Now, eight days into the district's school year, only half of the 120 students are in school. Thirty-seven are trying to get into a school that fits them and has room, while the status of 28 others is unsure because officials haven't been able to reach them...

Jayasuriya signed a detailed agreement, including to preserve financial records and get state approval if spending changed from the school budget. Unknown to state regulators, however, she was at odds with most of her own board over spending.

Eric Ensley, president of the board from its founding in May 2009 until he resigned in June 2010, said he tangled with Jayasuriya over her desire to immediately begin paying people -- including herself -- rather than first get a firm financial plan and seasoned administrator in place.

"There were manipulative tactics to try to get things approved and paid for that I didn't think should be paid for," he said. "I can't tell you how heated the debate got in the boardroom. ... To pay Joe Schmo to advocate for the school just because he knows this deejay is no way to run a school."

Ensley insisted, for example, that for Jayasuriya to become a paid employee of the school, she must step down from the board and apply for the job. In the end, Ensley and three other board members resigned, leaving Jayasuriya and two others on the board. Jayasuriya then helped hire herself and the board treasurer as paid contract employees of the school...

On Sept. 1, the problems became starkly clear. In a meeting at school district headquarters, four top school officials began arguing. The treasurer said she was ill-equipped and would resign that night. The co-director resigned during the meeting. A third leader walked out in disgust after learning there was no money left for furniture and equipment. And the list of seemingly qualified board members the district had been given was a fiction...

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