Eight months after second denial, NC OKs politically connected Union County charter school
A newly empowered state board approved a new charter school to open in Union County in 2024 — the same school the State Board of Education rejected twice before.
The North Carolina Charter Schools Review Board gave the go-ahead Tuesday to the American Leadership Academy-Monroe, a school where Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s wife Yolanda Hill is on the board of directors.
The larger state board voted twice — in December and January — to reject the application for American Leadership Academy-Monroe to open this fall in Union County as a K-8 school, the News & Observer reported. The vote took place amid a debate about approving new charter schools run by for-profit companies.
Now, the Charter Schools Advisory Board can give the final OK to schools because of expansions approved by the N.C. General Assembly earlier this year. Until now, the advisory board was just that, and the State Board had accepted most of its recommendations. The now-approved Union County school was among the exceptions.
Groups applying for charter schools in North Carolina have to be nonprofit entities. But they can contract with a for-profit organization to manage the school. Management organizations are allowed to collect fee payment of up to 15% of revenues that charters receive. The for-profit management companies make money through fees and often by providing school buildings the charter school board uses.
American Leadership Academy-Monroe is managed by Charter One. Glenn Way, who has made millions of dollars building, selling and leasing properties to the charter schools he runs in Arizona, The Arizona Republic has reported, owns both.
Christina Shubert, interim director of American Leadership Academy-Monroe, told the board the school will open as a K-8 school with 450 students the first year. Shubert says 1,118 families are on the “interest list” for the school.
“We look forward to offering more school choice in the area,” Shubert said.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, the school wrote: “Preparations are underway to create a community school that delivers a high-quality, values-based curriculum for your children. In the coming months, we will announce our school location and information session details where parents can learn more about the upcoming school and meet school leaders.”
Charter Schools Advisory Board member Alex Quigley asked numerous questions during the meeting, but ultimately voted “yes.” The only “no” vote was Todd Godbey.
“I do think the overcrowding is real — we’ve heard a lot about that in Union County,” Quigley said of many of the county’s public schools being over capacity. “I believe in school choice and providing that option to relieve (some of that overcrowding.)“
Review board members also raised questions about the academic performance of some other North Carolina schools Charter One manages. But board members also said they recognize how Charter One will provide the resources needed to get the new school up and running.
NC legislature bill demanded approval
In March, a pair of Republican legislators filed a bill ordering American Leadership Academy-Monroe’s approval after the State Board of Education rejected its application.
Senate Bill 230’s primary sponsors included Sens. Todd Johnson and David Craven, both of whom represent districts covering Union County. Their bill wanted board members to approve American Leadership Academy-Monroe to open in the 2024-25 school year.
“The Board shall issue American Leadership Academy – Monroe a charter pursuant to this section, and the school shall operate pursuant to the requirements applicable to charter schools set forth in Article 14A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes,” the bill states.
The bill has been sitting in the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations since March.
This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 2:05 PM with the headline "Eight months after second denial, NC OKs politically connected Union County charter school."
