With Founder On Trial For Fraud, 2 Charter Renewals Denied By SRC
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The School Reform Commission last night failed to renew the charters of two schools founded by a woman who is on trial on fraud charges.
Two charters founded by Dorothy June Brown were up for renewal, but neither was successful. Brown is on trial for fraud in federal court. The renewal of the Laboratory Charter School was pulled from the agenda after Superintendent William Hite said some new, undisclosed information had come to light.
Laboratory Parent Richard Weiss said his school, which won a national Blue Ribbon award this year, has been waiting two years for a vote on its future.
"For a parent, a student, a teacher to not know if they're going to have a school? It's terrible. How much longer do we need to wait?"
The SRC voted 2-1 with one abstention in favor of renewing the Planet Abacus charter, but three votes are needed for passage, so the renewal failed.
