Charter school company again delays in responding to records request

Star-News: Several media outlets began requesting records related to Charter Day School Inc. in May. Some records were turned over. For others, the school said it would respond by Monday. Now it says it will be two more weeks pending a change in state law. 

The Star-News in Wilmington requested records from Charter Day School Inc., which operates several schools in southeast North Carolina, related to employee salaries and the schools overall finances. The school has provided some records, but delayed in responding to others. 

The school informed the Star-News that it would provide a response by Monday. But on Monday it said the response would not come until Aug. 8, and referenced a pending change in how charter schools are governed under state law. 

Last week, both houses of the General Assembly agreed to revisions of Senate Bill 793. The version originally passed by the Senate made clear that charter schools were subject to the N.C. Public Records Law, even though schools already agreed to abide by the law as part of their charter agreement with the state. The House revised the bill to permit schools to withhold employees names. That prompted Gov. McCrory to threaten a veto.

The most recent version of the bill removes the employee name exemption, but it does not make clear whether or not subcontractors at charter schools are subject to the law. Part of the issue with Charter Day School, Inc., in Wilmington is that some of the key personnel at its charter schools are employees of Roger Bacon Academy, a for-profit company owned by the founder of Charter Day School, Inc. 

Read the Star-News story here