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Auditor says area charter school misspent funds
COLUMBUS — State auditors have launched a special investigation of a top-performing Dayton charter school chain after an audit found nearly $90,000 in funds were misspent at four schools.
An audit of the Richard Allen Schools 2009 finances released Tuesday by Dave Yost, state auditor, found $89,067 of state funding was misspent. Richard Allen operates four charter schools in Dayton and another in Hamilton.
The examinations also show the schools had a combined deficit of $1.38 million in 2009. A representative at the schools’ main office in Dayton said no one was available to comment about the audit.
The four separate audits uncovered $9,739 in overpayments to school board members, $48,567 in state funds used to replace heating systems in buildings owned by the schools’ private management company and $27,300 unaccounted for from a Montgomery County Job and Family Services contract slated for summer and after school programs.
Another $3,461 in improper spending for travel and other reasons was found as well as issues of noncompliance to state law including charging students a fee to attend disiplinary Saturday school. Of the misspent money only $2,221 has been repaid, the audit said. School founder, president and CEO Jeanette Harris is liable for some of the misspent money.
“Community schools must meet the same fiscal standards of integrity as any other entity that receives public funds,” Yost said in a news release. “I applaud the schools’ reported academic performance, but they simply have to do better managing their money.”
On the 2009-2010 state report card two of the schools were rated continuous improvement and another effective by the state, a fourth received no ranking because it serves kindergarten and first graders who are not tested by the state. The Dayton City School District is classified as academic watch.
Gov. John Kasich is counting on charter schools to help improve Ohio’s academic performance while saving money. His biennium budget, released March 15, includes double digit cuts to traditional schools while increasing the funding for charter schools and school choice and lifting the cap on the number of charter schools in the state.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Charter Schools and School Choice
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By steven howell
April 3, 2011 11:36 AM | Link to this
Its news when charter schools misspent money, cheated here and there. Wow, that happens every second in public schools! Why in the world do people stand up for the public schools in dayton, the schools are awful, and most important letting our kids down bigtime!!!
By Catch22
April 1, 2011 4:30 PM | Link to this
The Richard Allen schools have been outperforming DPS for years now at a lower cost per student. The problem is obviously the MANAGEMENT COMPANY. They are ruining the chances for the schools to succeed. Who can put in a replacement so people in this community can continue to get some quality choice in education? Can the Dept of Ed step in?
By anonymous
April 1, 2011 7:53 AM | Link to this
So let’s get this right—this charter school embezzles $90,000 and last year another local charter was caught cheating on test scores—and the Gov. thinks we need more of them while continuing to cut public schools? Sounds like another case of government taking from the taxpayer and giving to the corporations to me. Way to go Kasich!
By teacher
March 31, 2011 11:34 PM | Link to this
I find it ironic that as I was reading this story on DDNs sister site WHIO, an advertisement for Richard Allen flashed. Hmmm. I wonder what other people have to say about this…I have my own knowledge but I’ll just keep that to me. =)
By Simply do better
March 31, 2011 9:41 PM | Link to this
How about “embezzling charges”? We do not need charter schools. Multiple systems = multiple errors. So apparently charter schools, unlike public schools, are entirely unaccountable? Who fires Jeanette Harris?
By True Story
March 31, 2011 6:34 PM | Link to this
Charter schools have always unperformed the public school system both socialastically and financially - full of fraudulent spending and higher costs per student. Republicans like Kasich are just paying off their big political contributors with charter school profits. Republicans love to privaitzes the profits and socialize the losses. Exactly what’s going to happen when Kasich privatizes the prison system and these corporations fail from being sued into bankruptcy for the negligent treatment of the prisoners and Ohio taxpayer is left to makeup the losses.
By guru
March 31, 2011 4:47 PM | Link to this
Charter schools are a waste of tax payer money. I find it hard to believe Charter School students are outperforming traditional public school students. Several audits released found teachers in the classroom fulltime without education and licensing required by ODE. If a traditional public school was this negligent with money the media would be all over it and communities would be rioting in the streets. Instead the Governor elects to open more charter schools. Really? Charter schools = a tax dollar black hole.