Yesterday, the Delaware State Board of Education voted in the majority to put Odyssey Charter School under formal review for six violations of Delaware state code.
For the past year, questions have arisen concerning many issues stemming around their Board of Directors. When their Board President was granted a high-paying administrator job (the third one in as many months), teachers and parents rallied against it. Around the same time their teachers voted to join the Delaware State Education Association. Now it turns out there are some significant financial issues surrounding the role of the AHEPA board members. Those board members hold a majority on the board.
It turns out their were a ton of conflicts of interest going on at the same time concerning gender discrimination, financial improprieties, and contracts. While I highly doubt the State Board of Education is going to shut down Odyssey, I do anticipate some major changes coming to their board when all is said and done. I sincerely hope Kathy McGuiness is doing her job over at the Auditor of Accounts office and this school is getting a full investigative audit. I can’t imagine any reason in the world why they wouldn’t. That is what that office is supposed to do.
In the meantime, read the shocking letter from Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Susan Bunting to the school. The final decision will be made at the July 18th State Board of Education meeting. A full calendar of their Charter School Accountability Committee and Public Hearings is listed in the below document.
Exceptional Delaware 