South Miami-based charter school management company under federal scrutiny
BY KATHLEEN MCGRORY
HERALD/TIMES TALLAHASSEE BUREAU
TALLAHASSEE -- The state’s largest charter school management company has come under scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Education for potential conflicts of interests in its business practices, federal authorities have confirmed.
The Education Department’s Inspector General Office is auditing the South Miami-based Academica Corp. as part of a broader examination of school management companies nationwide. The audit will be complete this summer, department spokeswoman Catherine Grant said.
A preliminary audit report obtained by the Herald/Times identified potential conflicts of interest between the for-profit company Academica and the Mater Academy charter schools it manages. One example the auditors cited was the transfer of money from Mater Academy to its private support organization, which shares the same board of directors.
When asked about the potential conflicts of interest raised in the report, Academica attorney Marcos Daniel Jiménez, in an email to the Herald/Times, touted the charter school network's academic record and commitment to its students.
Jiménez also said Academica had sent a response letter to the U.S. Department of Education correcting what he called “inaccuracies and false statements” contained in the preliminary report. But Academica declined the Herald/Times request to be provided the response, saying the Education Department considered the report and the response from Academica to be confidential.
The Education Department’s findings come as the Florida Legislature considers a bill that could weaken TALLAHASSEE: South Miami-based charter school management company under federal scrutiny - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com: