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Arts school future in jeopardy; pacts OK'd for 6 others


An auditor's report filed in May 2001, states, "there is substantial doubt about its [Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo.] ability to continue as a going concern."

The school doesn't seem to have updated its website for over a year.

And now the teachers learn that their health insurance coverage has lapsed.

Staff

The Ohio Council of Community Schools yesterday approved contract extensions with six of the charter schools it sponsors statewide.

The 10-member council approved extensions for Lake Erie Academy, Paul Laurence Dunbar Academy, George A. Phillips Academy, Wildwood Environmental Academy, Ohio Virtual Academy online school, and Ohio Connections Academy, an online school based in Columbus. Ohio Virtual Academy was given a 10-year contract, and the council authorized Allison Perz, its executive director, to negotiate the lengths of the remaining contracts.

The council also discussed complaints raised by teachers from the Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo.

Carroll Ashley, council chairman, said the charter school would be shut down unless a management company or another organization is willing to come in and assume responsibility.

"We are in a position to provide oversight; we are not in a position to conduct business on behalf of the Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo," Mr. Ashley said.

Teachers at the troubled West Toledo charter school demonstrated Thursday outside the office of the Ohio Council of Community Schools and demanded assurances that they will be paid through the summer.

Brady Bancroft, a math teacher, said the school might be closed next month because of its problems - leaving teachers without the paychecks they are owed through the summer months.

The school has 94 students in grades seven through 12, Ms. Perz said. It employs seven full-time teachers and three part-time teachers.

"The problem is the contracts with the staff are held by the school and the contracts are bad contracts," Ms. Perz said. "They don't protect the teachers."

She added, "We did not take over the school. Right now all we are doing is facilitating the learning environment."

Mr. Bancroft also said teachers' health insurance was allowed to lapse without their knowledge.

He said Ms. Perz knew that, but Ms. Perz said last week she was unaware if the teachers had current health insurance benefits.

"At the end of the day, the school is getting a minimum amount of money and a maximum amount of bills," Ms. Perz said.

The performing arts school has had a series of problems involving operating deficits and has relocated several times in recent years.

The situation escalated during January when the three-member governing board fired the school's executive director, Kari DiCianni, and hired a management team headed by Tom Baker, former superintendent of the Lucas County Educational Service Center, to take over.

Two of the three governing board members resigned after The Blade reported that Vince Buccirosso, Sr., one of the two other partners in the management team with Mr. Baker, was convicted of fraud in 1997 involving a United Way chapter he formerly headed in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Jim Copley, the president and only remaining governing board member, was removed Feb. 15 by Ms. Perz.

At the time, Ms. Perz told The Blade Mr. Copley was removed because he was impeding her ability to get the facts about the school. Ms. Perz assumed control of the school, one of 45 charter schools in Ohio that the council sponsors.

State Auditor Mary Taylor started an investigation in February into the financial activities of the Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo.

Ms. Perz requested the investigation after several unsuccessful attempts to obtain important financial records from the school.

She estimated the school's current debt between $200,000 and $400,000.

The last audit of the school - for fiscal year 2004 - reported a deficit of $355,127 and a lack of proper internal financial controls to ensure the integrity of tax dollars provided to fund the school's operation, the auditor's office said.

Ms. Perz also said it has been impossible to get new governing board members to run the school because she is "not allowed to simply appoint members."

— staff
Toledo Blade
2007-05-15
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007705150347

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