LOS ANGELES—Philanthropists have bailed out a financially struggling charter school operator with $10.5 million to keep its 15 inner-city campuses running in Los Angeles.

ICEF Public Schools Chief Executive Caprice Young said Thursday the group remains $2.5 million shy of its $12.5 million goal by February.

ICEF, which serves 4,500 students, ran into trouble when the state deferred its payments. The move forced the