A group of charter schools facing the threat of closure due to allegations of fraud could receive about $45,000 in new state funding, the state announced Monday.
Antioch-based Knowledge Academies operates three charter schools in Davidson County. But the Metro Nashville school board voted in August to close them down at the end of this year. The decision was made based on an MNPS investigation which found “fraud, misappropriation of funds and flagrant disregard for the charter agreement.”
Knowledge Academies has appealed the decision.
The Tennessee Department of Education says that even though the state has announced the grant money, Knowledge Academies will get the funding only if they are successful appealing Metro Schools’ decision to revoke its charter.
In the meantime, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Education says the money is frozen. If the charter operator doesn’t win the appeal, the funds will go into another pot of money being awarded next month to other schools.
The Tennessee State Board of Education will hold a conference call meeting next week to discuss the future of the charter school.
Knowledge Academy did not immediately respond to WPLN’s request for comment.
This is part of the Tennessee Department of Education’s Charter School Facilities fund, a $12 million allocation by Gov. Bill Lee’s administration. According to the state’s Department of Education, about half of that amount — $5.85 million — will be dispersed to 117 charter schools in six school districts, based on the number of students they serve.
The rest of the money will be available in the form of a competitive grant that charter schools can apply for next month.
According to the agency’s guidelines, the money can be used to improve facilities and purchase property to relocate or establish a new school.
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