Open Meeting Law Complaints Filed Against 113 Arizona Charter Schools

Arizonans for Charter School Accountability has recently filed complaints with the Arizona Attorney General against 113 charter holders for failing to post school board information on their websites as mandated by Arizona’s Open Meeting Law. Among the charter companies subject to the complaints are Great Hearts, EdKey, Benjamin Franklin, Noah Webster, Khalsa Montessori Elementary Schools, and Sonoran Science Charter schools.

The alleged failure to comply is striking in the cases of Great Heart and Benjamin Franklin. Rep. Paul Boyer, who chairs the Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee is an employee of Great Heart, and Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, owns Benjamin Franklin charter company.

Conclusions:

There fewer requirements for charter schools in Arizona than in any other state in the union. One hundred and thirteen charter holders do not feel the need to inform the public about board meetings because no one at the state level cares. Arizona law does not allow the Department of Education or the Auditor General to monitor charter schools. The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools apparently does not monitor charters for compliance either. The independent audits submitted by 133 charter owners have inaccurate information about Open Meeting Law compliance. The accuracy of the rest of the financial audits obviously comes into question.

The lack of transparency in Arizona charter schools has been carefully crafted by conservative state legislators since the beginning of charter schools in 1994. Prior to 2000, Arizona statues required charter school boards to make “operational and policy decisions” for the school. The 2000 Arizona Legislature struck the word “operational” from the law, taking all requirements for operational transparency away from public charter school boards and allowing all management decisions to be made in secret at the corporate level.

Washington State decided that charters are not public schools because their boards are not elected. Charter oversight is so lax in Arizona that 91 charter schools may not be holding school board meetings at all and all decisions are made in secret at corporate meetings. How can these charters be considered “public” schools when their goal is to hide all information from the public – except the “website accessibility policy”?

Those charters however are only some of the 288 charter holders out of 411 total that complied with the law.  Many have completely transparent board meetings and offer their parents access to information and the governing process.  Arizonans for Charter School Accountability say those schools are to be commended.

A total of 113 charters did not state where public notices are posted or supply school board meeting notices on their websites as required by Arizona’s Open Meeting Law. Some of the largest Arizona charter companies including Great Hearts, EdKey, Benjamin Franklin, Noah Webster, and Sonoran Science Charter schools failed to comply with the law.  Further study revealed that 147 charters did not post notices for any board meetings in 2017 and 91 charters have no notices of any board meetings – ever.

Charter boards are not elected in Arizona – they are appointed by the charter owner.  Charter school boards are only required by statue to “set the policies of the school” and can turn over all of the day-to-day operation of the school, including hiring all staff, to the charter corporate board, even if the charter is non-profit.  All curriculum, personnel, and management decisions can be made in secret by the corporate board that is a private organization and is not bound by open meeting laws or public records requests.  The charter school board only sets policy.

As a result, a number of charter holders seldom have school board meetings, and when they do little is discussed.  For example, Basis Inc. has one school board meeting for all 20 Basis schools in the state.  The BASIS April 2017 board meeting (the first meeting since August 2016) had one item on the agenda – a website accessibility policy and nothing else.

Prior to 2000, Arizona statues required charter school boards to make “operational and policy decisions” for the school.  The 2000 Arizona Legislature struck the word “operational” from the law, taking all requirements for operational transparency away from public charter school boards and allowing all management decisions to be made in secret at the corporate level.

Jim Hall, founder of Arizonans for Charter School Accountability, noted, “The lack of transparency in Arizona charter schools has been carefully crafted by conservative state legislators since the initial charter legislation in 1994. Charter oversight is so lax in Arizona that 113 charter schools fail to supply school board meeting information on their websites as required by the Open Meeting Law.”

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Hall continued, “Arizona charter school board meetings are so meaningless, by statute, that many charter owners don’t bother to have meetings.  And many that do only discuss things like their website access policy.  Charters are allowed to hide all aspects of their operations from the public in secret corporate meetings.  How can they be considered public schools?”

The full report is at azcsa.org

Table 1 – Charter Holders not following Open Meeting Laws

Charter Holder URL Link
Academy of Excellence http://www.academyofexcellenceaz.com/
Accelerated Elementary and Secondary schools http://www.allaccelerated.org/tucson/
Allen Cochran Enterprises, Inc (Center Educational Excellence) http://ceeschool.com/
Anthem Preparatory Academy (Greathearts) http://anthemprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Chandler http://archwaychandler.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Cicero http://archwaycicero.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Glendale http://archwayglendale.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Lincoln http://archwaylincoln.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy North Phoenix http://archwaynorthphoenix.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Scottsdale http://archwayscottsdale.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Trivium East http://archwaytriviumeast.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Trivium West http://archwaytrivium.greatheartsacademies.org/
Archway Classical Academy Veritas http://archwayveritas.greatheartsacademies.org/
Arete Preparatory Academy http://areteprepacademy.greatheartsacademies.org/
Arizona Academy of Science & Technology http://www.arizonaacademyofscience.org/
Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc ESTRELLA https://www.aaechighschools.com/public-charter-school/estrella-mountain.html
Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc Prescott https://www.aaechighschools.com/public-charter-school/prescott-valley.html
Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc PV https://www.aaechighschools.com/public-charter-school/paradise-valley.html
Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc Red Mountain https://www.aaechighschools.com/public-charter-school/red-mountain.html
Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center Inc SMCC https://www.aaechighschools.com/public-charter-school/south-mountain.html
Arizona Call A Teen Youth Resources, Inc http://acyraz.org/
Az-Tec High School https://ahs-amsd-nm.schoolloop.com/
Benjamin Franklin Charter School https://www.bfcsaz.com/
Blue Adobe Project http://blueadobe.org/
Blueprint Education, Inc. (On-Line) https://www.blueprinteducation.org/
Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley dba Mesa Arts Academy http://clubzona.org/locations/mesa_arts_academy
Bradley Academy of Excellence, Inc http://bradleycreemos.org/
Carpe Diem Collegiate High School(Desert View) http://www.desertviewmhs.com/
Chandler Preparatory Academy (Great Hearts) http://chandlerprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Cholla Academy (Westland) www.westlandcharterschool.com
Cicero Preparatory Academy (Greathearts) http://ciceroprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Crown Charter School, Inc. http://www.crowncharter.com/index.html
Daisy Education Corporation Sonoran Science Academy Peoria https://www.sonoranschools.org/
Daisy Education Corporation(Paragon Science) http://www.sonoranschools.org/psak12_home.aspx
Daisy Education Corporation(Sonoran Science Davis Mothan https://www.sonoranschools.org/
Daisy Education Corporation(Sonoran Science Phoenix) https://www.sonoranschools.org/
Daisy Education Corporation(Sonoran Science) https://www.sonoranschools.org/
East Valley Academy http://www.mpsaz.org/eva
Edkey, Inc. (Pathfinder) http://eastmark.sequoiapathfinder.org/
Edkey, Inc. Arizona Conservatory for Arts & Academics www.azconservatory.org
Edkey, Inc.(Redwood)(AZ Conservatory Arts) www.azconservatory.org
Edkey, Inc.(Sequoia Charter) http://www.sequoiaelementary.org/
Edkey, Inc.(Sequoia Ranch)(Children’s First) cfaphoenix.org
Edkey, Inc.Deaf http://www.sequoiadeafschool.org/
Edkey, Inc.Sequoia Choice Schools http://sequoiaprecision.org/
Employ-Ability Unlimited http://www.employabilitycharters.com/
Ethos Academy:  A Challenge Foundation Academy http://ethos.teamcfa.school/
Excalibur Charter School, Inc.(Avalon) http://avaloncharterschool.com/
Founding Fathers Academies(Jefferson) http://www.jeffersonacademy.us/
Glendale Preparatory Academy (Great Hearts) http://glendaleprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Global Renaissance Academy (Grand Canyon Prep) http://www.grandcanyonprep.com/
Graysmark Schools Corporation http://www.graysmarkacademy.com/
Happy Valley East http://hvseast.com/
Happy Valley School, Inc http://happyvalleyschool.org/
Hirsch Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy http://hirsch.teamcfa.school/
Khalsa Family Service https://khalsamontessori.org/
Khalsa Montessori Elementary Schools http://www.khalsamontessorischool.com/
Lifelong Learning Research Institute Inc.(Air And Space Academy) http://www.airandspaceacademy.com/
Lifelong Learning Research Institute, Inc.(Air And Space Academy) http://www.airandspaceacademy.com/
Lincoln Preparatory Academy Great Hearts http://lincolnprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Little Lamb Community School(Mission Montessori) http://www.missionmontessori.com/
Maryvale Preparatory Academy Greathearts http://maryvaleprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Milestones Charter School http://milestonescharterschools.com/
Montessori House http://montessori-house.com/
No Location or Meeting Notices
Noah Webster Schools-Mesa https://www.noahwebster.org/campus/mesa/
Noah Webster Schools-Pima https://www.noahwebster.org/campus/pima/
North Phoenix Preparatory Academy dba Greathearts http://northphoenixprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Painted Desert Demonstration Projects, Inc.(Star School) http://www.starschool.org/
Presidio School https://www.presidioschool.com/
PS Charter Schools(Pieceful Solutions) Autistic https://www.piecefulsolutions.com/
Scottsdale Preparatory Academy Greathearts http://scottsdaleprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Sedona Charter School, Inc. http://sedonacharterschool.com
Skyview School, Inc. http://www.skyviewschool.org/
Sonoran Science Academy Broadway https://www.sonoranschools.org/ssabroadwayk8_home.aspx
Southern Arizona Community Academy, Inc. http://www.sacaeagles.com/
Southgate Academy, Inc http://www.southgateaz.org/
Starshine Academy http://www.starshineacademy.org/
StrengthBuilding Partners http://www.strengthbuilding.org/?page_id=464
Teleos Preparatory Academy Greathearts http://teleosprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
The Edge School Inc http://www.edline.net/pages/EdgeHighSchool
The FARM at Mission Montessori http://www.missionmontessori.com/
The Griffin Foundation, The www.griffinfoundation.org
The Rising School http://www.risingschool.org/
Trivium Preparatory Academy Greathearts http://triviumprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Tucson Collegiate Prep., Inc.(Paragon Prep) http://paragonprep.education/home
Veritas Preparatory Academy Greathearts http://veritasprep.greatheartsacademies.org/
Yuma Private Industry Council dba Ed Opportunity Center http://ypic.com/CHS/Charter_high.html
 
No Location Notice  
American Heritage Academy (EdKey) http://www.americanheritageacademy.org/
Arizona Montessori Charter School at Anthem  (Caurous Academy) http://caurusacademy.org/
Calibre Academy, Inc. http://www.calibreacademy.com/
Challenge School, Inc. http://www.challengecharterschool.net/
Collaborative Pathways, Inc.(AZ College Prep Academy) http://www.arizonacollegeprep.com/
Compass High School, Inc. https://www.compasshighschool.com/
Eastpointe High School, Inc. www.eastpointehs.com
Edkey, Inc.(Sequoia Pathway) http://www.sequoiapathway.org/
Edkey, Inc.(Sequoia Village)(George Washington) http://www.sequoiavillageschool.org/
Fit Kids, Inc. (Champion) http://www.championschools.org/
Incito Schools http://www.incitoschools.org/
Juniper Tree Academy(Desert View) http://www.desertviewacademy.com/
Montessori Education Centre – Charter School http://www.montessorictr.org/
Nosotros Academy http://nosotrosacademy.com/
P.L.C. Charter Schools(Arts Academy) http://www.plcaaem.org/
Patagonia Montessori Elementary School http://www.patagoniamontessori.org/index.html
Patriot Academy http://www.patriotacademyaz.org/
 

 

 

No Meeting Notices

 

 

Arizona Language Preparatory http://azlanguageprep.org/

 

Camelback Education, Inc. http://www.camelbackacademy.com/home
Country Gardens Charter Schools http://cgcsaz.com/
Espiritu Community Development Corporation https://www.espiritu.org/
Espiritu Community Development Corporation https://www.espiritu.org/
Espiritu Schools https://www.espiritu.org/
Fountain Hills Charter School http://fhcspto.org/index.htm
GAR, LLC (Student Choice HS) http://studentchoicehighschool.com/
Genesis Academy http://www.genesiscity.org/
Insititute for Transformatived Education, Inc. (Changemaker HS) http://changemakerhighschool.org/
Leman Academy of Excellence, Inc. https://lemanacademy.com/

 

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