An Atlanta charter school threatened with closure after the alleged theft of more than $600,000 could remain open, but the school's principal has been removed from her post.
Supporters have been trying to raise money to keep the school, Latin Academy, open, and an unsigned post on the school’s Facebook page suggests it received a potentially life-saving pledge of more than $1 million.
Chris Clemons, the school's founder, was named last year as a suspect in the alleged theft. Under his leadership Latin Academy also took out $600,000 in loans with without the school board's authorization.
It's unclear how the alleged theft took place: The school's board has declined to release previous financial records in response to requests made by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution under the Georgia Open Records Act, saying the records are part of an ongoing investigation. Police have said the investigation is ongoing.
Earlier this year, the school's board considered closing the school, saying the missing money and financial mismanagement put it in an untenable financial condition. The board gave students, staff and supporters a month to raise the hundreds of thousands of dollars necessary to keep the school open.
“Encouraging progress has been made” in that effort, board chairman Kaseem Ladipo wrote in a letter to parents Monday.
His announcement came days after a post on the school’s Facebook page announced that an anonymous donor had pledged more than $1 million to the school “contingent upon board action.”
“WE DID IT!!!” the unsigned post reads.
In response to questions from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Ladipo declined to comment on the post’s content.
The school’s board is expected to consider the school’s future at its meeting Thursday.
In his email, Ladipo also told parents that Latin Academy Principal Aja Kweliona had been placed on paid administrative leave “due to a number of factors.” Kweliona was not the school’s principal at the time of the alleged theft.
Both Ladipo and Kweliona declined to comment on the move.
Latin Academy, which is overseen by Atlanta Public Schools, is rated higher than most Atlanta middle schools under Georgia's school rating system. As a charter school, it receives public funding but operates independently of the school district. It has about 200 students.
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