Here are some emergency e mails from the superintendent of Horizon Dayton Superintendant Ali Kucuker and Mrs. Lierly to the staff about what to say or not to say to parents, media, etc.,
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Federal authorities in Cleveland are examining an
Illinois company that manages the local Horizon Science Academy schools and
several others in the Midwest, and they have seized documents from several
locations in the past week, including here in Ohio.
FBI agents in Cleveland, along with the U.S. Department of Education and
the Federal Communications Commission, searched 19 locations, including three
in Northern Ohio, regarding Concept
Schools, according to interviews and published reports.
Vicki Anderson, an FBI agent in Cleveland, said the search warrants
involved "a white-collar matter,'' but she would not specify. The search
warrants are sealed.
Anderson said the case "did not involve violence or threats against
the school, faculty or students.'' She would not identify the places searched.
The Indianapolis Business Journal reported last week that authorities
are looking at financial records from schools managed by Concept Schools, an
Illinois-based company.
Almost two-thirds of the 30 schools are in Ohio. Most are science and
technology-themed schools, including several Horizon science academies in
Northeast Ohio.
In addition to a highly regarded campus of an
elementary, middle and high school near E. 60th Street and Interstate 90's
Marginal Road, there is a Horizon elementary and middle school
on Columbus and Denison avenues in Ohio City.
Concept also runs Noble Academy at 1200 E. 200th St. in Euclid.
The federal education department named Horizon Science Academy in
Cleveland a Blue Ribbon School in 2009, one of eight Ohio "Needles in a
Haystack" - schools that succeed even in difficult urban areas.
In 2010, it was cited by the Thomas Fordham Institute. In 2011, the Ohio
Department of Education made it one of 122 "Schools of Promise.''
Teachers and educators from across Concepts School were just in
Cleveland in March for
the network's annual STEM conference.
On May 30, Eric Waldo, executive director of Michelle Obama's Reach
Higher initiative, spoke at the school's graduation ceremony.
The
Indianapolis Business Journal quoted a spokeswoman from an
Indianapolis school, who said agents requested documents that were part of an
audit the U.S. Department of Education was conducting of federal "e-rate''
grant programs.
"Earlier this week we were asked to provide information to U.S.
Department of Education officials as part of a larger federal audit of e-rate
technology grants," the school official said in a statement.
"Those officials indicated they are auditing the funds dispersed to
various schools to verify that work paid for with e-rate grants was completed
as reported.''
Plain Dealer reporter Patrick O'Donnell
contributed reporting for this story.
PLEASE READ CHARTER
SCHOOL WATCH DOGS ARTICLE
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