Recent accounts in the media regarding the unfortunate and untimely closing of Peachtree Hope Charter School in DeKalb County suggest that its board of directors was incompetent, irresponsible and arbitrary. The facts illustrate a different picture.
The members of the PHCS board sought to provide an alternative to parents and students in metro Atlanta whose schools in their communities were not preparing students for graduation, college matriculation or meaningful jobs.
In 2009, PHCS applied to the newly created Georgia State Charter School Commission and was among the first five applicants to be granted a charter by the commission. In August 2010, PHCS opened its doors with nearly 600 students. It hired SABIS, a for-profit educational management company, to operate the school pursuant to the terms of the charter. But on May 16 the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the State Charter Commission was unconstitutional, which voided the charter and SABIS’ management contract.
On June 1, PHCS applied for a local charter from the DeKalb County school system, with SABIS as the management company. But the same day PHCS became aware of unsatisfactory CRCT test scores that had been withheld from the board for several weeks.
Between June 1 and 14, PHCS examined records at the school and discovered serious mismanagement and fiscal problems with SABIS. It became clear that it was not in the best interests of our students to allow SABIS to operate the school as it had the previous school year.
We sought to negotiate a new agreement with SABIS that would include more accountability and certain policy directives. Failing this objective, the board requested to license the SABIS curriculum, which SABIS also declined.
The Peachtree Hope board notified DeKalb County and submitted a new application to operate the school with existing school staff and a new curriculum. The county staff rejected the application.
Throughout June and July, in the process of exercising its oversight responsibility, the board learned additional disturbing details. Significantly, SABIS: failed to meet the targeted scores on the 2011 CRCT as promised to the state of Georgia; under-reported Title I students, resulting in a loss of federal funds in excess of $1 million; apparently hired a director for the school who lacked a teaching certificate, and state certification to serve as a school principal; paid a black teacher less than a less-experienced white teacher; paid staff $552,000 less than the county’s salary scale for similar positions.
SABIS also failed to institute a student remediation program, failed to obtain competitive bids on procurements over $25,000 and paid out thousands of dollars in expenses without authorization of PHCS board.
Had the PHCS board allowed SABIS to operate as it had in the first year, the outcomes would have been abysmal. To make matters worse, just days before the final deadline for filing a new petition, SABIS demanded that all PHCS board members resign and that five new members be recommended by SABIS. This action, had the PHCS board agreed to it, would have created a “lap-dog” board and likely violated the laws regarding nonprofits.
The PHCS board owed an oversight responsibility to the children, parents the state and the public. Under difficult, unexpected circumstances and time pressures, the board judged that its fiduciary duty required it to not renew the school’s relationship with SABIS. The board is deeply disappointed that it was not allowed to continue to operate Peachtree Hope Charter School.
Lonnie C. King Jr. is chairman of the Peachtree Hope Charter School board.
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