Charter school owner under federal investigation

[Disir]

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -– Baker Mitchell, the founder of Roger Bacon Academy in Leland, is facing some challenges. He is under federal investigation.

His newest charter school, Douglass Academy, has an enrollment problem with the state and there are questions about where millions of your tax dollars are going to support his schools.

While the document that confirms the investigation does not go into detail, Brunswick County Superintendent Dr. Edward Pruden thinks it has to do with improper enrollment practices.

Two former employees told WWAY, on condition of anonymity, that they were aware of fraudulent ways of counting students to beef up the numbers at Mitchell’s charter schools.

For instance, they say some students would just show up for the first 20 days so the school could get the allocated tax dollars and then quit, and go back to Brunswick County Public Schools.

In Brunswick County for example, Charter Day School gets $2,464 from the county and $4,692 from the state for each student. That’s a total of more than $7,000 per pupil.

A lot of money to play with if that student never shows up for class after the first 20 days, and a burden on the county school system that takes the student back.

At Douglass Academy in Downtown Wilmington, Mitchell only has about 35 students. The state says he needs 65 to be open.

Then, there are the tax returns from Charter Day for 2008 through 2012 which show Mitchell got millions of your tax dollars from management fees, as well as for building and equipment rentals. Add the five years of returns up, and it’s almost $16 million.

State law says Mitchell does not have to explain how he spends the money in that account, but several employees have told us Mitchell takes the building and rental money and pays it to a company called Coastal Conservancy LL, which he owns.

Coastal Conservancy then charges Charter Day to rent the land, which Mitchell owns as well, and then charges the school rent for the buildings, the chairs, the tables, and even the pencils. Tax dollars going straight back into Mitchell’s pockets, which he is not spending on students or teachers.

Mitchell says all dollars are accounted for in the school’s audit.

http://http://www.wwaytv3.com/2014/02/28/only-3-investigation-charter-school-owner-under-federal-investigation

Yep, another one. Again.