Tell Gov. Cuomo to Crack Down on Misuse of Charter School Funding
Today, the Center for Popular Democracy and Alliance for Quality Education released a report titled Risking Public Money: New York Charter School Fraud that reveals vulnerabilities in the state’s charter oversight system that could potentially cost New York taxpayers as much as $54 million in charter fraud this year alone.
One charter school sent 49 staffers on a five day trip to the Bahamas. At another charter, the executive director and director of operations charged $75,000 to their school with no receipts or explanation for their charges. At yet another, former school officials and employees exploited weaknesses in their school’s internal control system and charged the school for goods or services totaling more than $95,000.
These are just three of many examples of charter fraud and mismanagement detailed in the report. We are standing with our partners to demand a moratorium on new charter schools in New York until necessary oversight measures are in place. Governor Cuomo loves to talk about cracking down on fraud, waste and abuse. So why is it that in Governor Cuomo’s Albany charter schools are getting away with it?