The school serves roughly 600 students in Raleigh and has been operating nearly as long as the state’s 1997 law that established charter schools.īut school leadership - at the administrative and board of directors levels - lost the trust of state officials in recent years over concerns that the school was violating federal laws on special education and against financial self-dealing. Monday’s meeting featured new allegations against the school, passionate testimony from school officials and hesitancy from the school’s board of directors to act swiftly on making management or oversight changes. The State Board of Education plans to consider the recommendation Thursday. The board unanimously voted Monday to make the recommendation following nearly eight hours of presentations from both state officials and officials with Torchlight Academy. The North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board has recommended closing one of the state’s oldest charter schools because of financial and management concerns - including that school leadership is profiting from school contracts. Robinson did not speak during the two-day public session of the State Board of Education this month until casting his “no” vote.
Mark Robinson voted no Thursday, but the vote covered several items unrelated to the revocation and it was not clear which item Robinson objected to and if it was Torchlight Academy’s charter revocation. The State Board of Education vote 10-1 to revoke the school’s charter, the third charter the board has revoked among Torchlight Academy Schools LLC-managed schools in the past year. White cited those same reasons, as well as “a number of different issues that were shared with the board in close session,” in the making the recommendation Thursday to revoke the school’s charter. Allowing self-serving conflicts of interest to take place.Failing to meet fiscal management standards.Violating the school’s charter agreement by failing to produce documents or provide adequate oversight of the school.Violating laws and regulations, including special education laws.
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