Charter schools overpaid, DOE says
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
The Department of Education has asked the Charter School Administrative Office to refund $1.19 million in overpayments the DOE said it made in the past two years based on an inaccurate number of students served in a few schools that added new grades without explicit approval.
But charter school executive director Jim Shon argues that the schools already have educated those children and spent the money that had been allotted. He further argued that the charter schools have been seriously underfunded and there's simply no money to pay back.
In testimony before a Board of Education committee yesterday, representatives from the four schools in question argued that communications between themselves and the board had been unclear in the past, and several thought changes to their enrollments had been approved.
During yesterday's meeting, committee members attempted to weave their way through a series of procedural steps that may or may not have occurred, and define clearly the guidelines the board sets for charter schools to carry out or amend their contracts.
"If it's not already clear to the charter schools, the DIP (Detailed Implementation Plan) is a contract and any change must be approved by the board," said past chairman Breene Harimoto. "And if a school is doing something outside that they need to immediately cease and desist."
He asked Shon's office to "aggressively" follow up with the schools with a letter to that effect.
But Steve Hirakami, director of the Hawai'i Academy of Arts & Science in Pahoa on the Big Island, said the DOE data is "inaccurate."
"Some of the grade changes were accepted by the board. ... And we had live bodies and we educated them," said Hirakami.
"So we're supposed to give money back? That's nonsensical. ... I'm here to plead for the board to use reason."
Afterward, board chairman Randall Yee said it's within the board's power to ask the department to waive the reimbursements in question, and it's his inclination to ask the board to do so.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.
