![]() The state Education Department learned Campbell overstepped to the degree that Banfield complained his actions created harmful instability and volatility, the report states.Įpic employees told investigators they were uncertain who truly runs the school system, the superintendent or the chairman, the state report alleged. "He was not only in the governance lane but in the school management lane," Stehno told The Oklahoman in December. Stehno claimed Epic's board Chairman Paul Campbell intruded in school operational decisions, a role typically reserved for the superintendent and administrative staff. About 5% of Epic's students in the 2020-21 school year, or 3,400 schoolchildren, were absent 75% of the time they were enrolled.Īlmost half of these 3,400 students were promoted to the next grade level the following school year, Clark said.Įpic Charter Schools employees report tension between school board and administration, report states The state also found thousands of students with high rates of truancy. "That would basically nullify the need for any kind of (algorithm) bot," Banfield said. "We feel like that would be a more transparent way for us to be able to hold our students accountable and to be able to work with our parents."Ĭorrecting the algorithm will take "additional in-depth investigations by programmers," the superintendent said. Banfield said the school system could change to taking attendance daily. This irregular pattern never surfaced in Epic's attendance records until after July 1, 2020, when a new state law took effect requiring virtual charter schools to withdraw students after 15 consecutive absences, investigators wrote.Įpic students are counted in attendance when they complete instructional activities. The students were then absent for 14 more consecutive days. That enabled Epic to count these students toward its school funding, investigators said. These 4,800 students were counted absent for 14 consecutive days, but on the 15th day, when state law mandates they be withdrawn for truancy, they were marked present, according to the report. Hofmeister said investigators discovered "troubling patterns" in attendance for more than 4,800 students during the 2020-21 school year, when Epic's co-founders still managed the school. The Education Department found more than 4,500 students who were counted as Epic students days before they should have been, an error that investigators claim could have wrongly netted Epic $780,000. Banfield said the co-founders' company hired Futuristic Education to work with Epic, and the two businesses had a "vendor relationship."Įpic cut all ties with the co-founders and their company in May 2021, but investigators said irregularities still affect Epic's attendance records. ![]() The co-founders, Ben Harris and David Chaney, have denied any wrongdoing.Ĭlark said Epic informed state officials of the connection between the two companies the day the report was released. ![]() Clark said Futuristic Education might have a relationship with Epic Youth Services, the company owned by Epic's co-founders that managed the school system for a decade and has been accused of misusing taxpayer funds.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |