The city has pulled the plug on a deal to house a controversial charter school in a Bronx school building.
The surprise move came after questions from the Daily News about the charter's current and former board members - two of whom hold powerful jobs at the Education Department.
"It's clear the [Education Department] checked its facts and the numbers just didn't add up," said Dick Dadey, executive director of the Citizens Union. "This was a bad decision that raised all kinds of ethical issues."
Last month, the New York City Charter High School for Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industries won the prized space inside Alfred E. Smith High School, which is being phased down.
Irma Zardoya, a high-ranking Education Department consultant who works at its Tweed headquarters, is the chairwoman of the charter school's board.
Santiago Taveras - an interim acting deputy chancellor with the Education Department - was a board member for the charter until June.
Education Department officials said political connections did not play a role in the charter school's ability to win the coveted space.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/education/2010/02/22/2010-02-22_charter_schools_move_scrapped.html#ixzz0gHHisuWu