Education

Charter schools plead for money after data error costs $2.3 million

Aug. 3,  2015 - Atlanta -  Stephanie Reaves' Kindergarten class plays a game as they introduce themselves on the first day of school at Kindezi at Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta. The school  joined  Kindezi School West in the charter organization's line-up, which has since expanded to include Gideons Elementary. BOB ANDRES  / BANDRES@AJC.COM
Aug. 3, 2015 - Atlanta - Stephanie Reaves' Kindergarten class plays a game as they introduce themselves on the first day of school at Kindezi at Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta. The school joined Kindezi School West in the charter organization's line-up, which has since expanded to include Gideons Elementary. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM
By Ty Tagami
Jan 23, 2018

A data-entry error has a cost an Atlanta charter school operation $2.3 million, prompting a plea to Georgia lawmakers for help.

It’s a problem for Atlanta Public Schools because the charter operator, Kindezi School, is part of the city’s school turnaround strategy.

Dean Leeper, the Kindezi founder, asked a House of Representatives subcommittee Monday for nearly $1 million that should have been requested previously through the state's formal budgeting process for two of his schools.

APS sent an administrator to testify by his side.

There is more to the story -- at myAJC.com.

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Related:

...Data-entry error costs Atlanta charter schools $2.3 million

...Georgia low-performing schools selected for "turnaround"

...Georgia's persistently lowest-performing schools identified

...Deal signs school turnaround legislation, calls it a 'dramatic step'

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About the Author

Ty Tagami is a staff writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Since joining the newspaper in 2002, he has written about everything from hurricanes to homelessness. He has deep experience covering local government and education, and can often be found under the Gold Dome when lawmakers meet or in a school somewhere in the state.

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