City Auditors: Charter School in Bronx Spent More Than $135,000 Without Proper Authorization or Documentation
For the first time, the city comptroller has begun auditing charter schools, and his initial report finds a school in the South Bronx could not account for more than $100,000 in spending. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed the following report.
$6,000 for ice cream. $16,000 for unlimited MetroCards. $7,000 so the principal could travel to Boston, Albany and Las Vegas.
"If you're going to go to Vegas, you better document it," said City Comptroller Scott Stringer.
Over a two-year period, officials at the South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures and the Arts spent more than $135,000 without the proper authorization or documentation, according to city auditors.
Monday's report is the first in a series of charter school audits by City Comptroller Scott Stringer. Charter school operators had challenged whether Stringer had the right to audit their schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed, but the comptroller said they all ended up cooperating.
"It's all part of doing business with the city and helping our children," Stringer said. "There has to be accountability. There has to be somebody watching the store. That's the job I'm supposed to do."
At the South Bronx Charter School, parents say they're surprised to hear so much spending was not properly documented.
"I did not think the principal would do such things, or at least be accused of such things," one parent said.
The school's board of trustees has pledged to review and revise financial practices in the wake of the audit.
Stringer says he's still auditing Success Academy Charter Schools, the city's highest-performing, most controversial and largest charter school network, with 11,000 students and 34 schools. Founder Eva Moskowitz makes more than $500,000 and is a former political rival of both Stringer and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The network successfully sued in 2014 to stop the state comptroller from conducting audits. Albany lawmakers later gave the city comptroller the power to examine charters' finances. Stringer says he expects to release that audit later this year.City Auditors: Charter School in Bronx Spent More Than $135,000 Without Proper Authorization or Documentation:
The network successfully sued in 2014 to stop the state comptroller from conducting audits. Albany lawmakers later gave the city comptroller the power to examine charters' finances. Stringer says he expects to release that audit later this year.City Auditors: Charter School in Bronx Spent More Than $135,000 Without Proper Authorization or Documentation: