Jacqueline Harris Academy has had its school buses shut down for being “Grossly Incompliant With Documentation.” WEAR TV 3 reports that the Escambia School District’s school bus inspector found the school had expired driver certification. The school had done no finger printing or criminal background checks on its drivers.
Back in May 2007, IN reported (Charter Schools in the Red ) that the Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy operated in the red in 2006 losing $27,437. JHPA pays $10,000 a month in lease fees for the school located at 1408 E. Blount St. to a company its principal controls—Creative Projects LLC. And the school paid a member of its Board of Trustees, who is a construction contractor, $304,282. Of that total $70,000 was paid and a note was issued for the remaining $234,282.
Here are the basics:
Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy
Enrollment: 200 in K-5
Charter began: August 2001
Taxpayer money: $1,146,011
Money for school administration: $218,983
Money for instruction: $409,898
Audit findings:
â–¶The school’s combined ending balances for its governmental funds was negative $27,437, which was a $47,359 increase from the previous year.
â–¶It’s unrestricted general fund balance was $61,234.
â–¶Paid member of the school’s Board of Trustees, who is a construction contractor, $304,282 of which $70,000 was paid and a note was issued for $234,282.
â–¶In October 2002, the school entered into a lease agreement with Creative Projects LLC, which the school’s executive director Celestine Lewis controls, for $10,000 per month for 12 years, which was reduced to $7,756 per month from October 2004 to November 2006.
â–¶In July 2004 the school borrowed $30,000 from Creative Projects, which was repaid during the past year.