7.7 million to charter schools that never opened

So a federal program that hands out cash gave michigan 7.7 million for some charter schools that never opened. With a other 47 million on the table…

Nationwide, the Network for Public Education says more than $500 million in federal money has been spent in the Charter Schools Program on schools that are no longer open.

Seems to me an audit and some reimbursement should be happening.

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Hello from California.
I wouldn’t look too hard for those reimbursements.
Our beautiful Bullet Train shows that millions can be spend on things that never get built. Be glad it only 7.7 million.

From the link:

"“The most disturbing thing that I found from reviewing the documentation from these grants was that there really appeared to be no prohibition on conflicts of interest,” Ulbrich says.

The report from the Network for Public Education lists several examples from Michigan in which charter school operators paid themselves, or their family members, tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees for schools that never opened."

Hey isn’t Betsy Devos from Michigan? I wonder if she schooled her friends on how to slurp the trough?

You mean like a swamp? Those unelected people I just saw people on here railing about abusing the system…

Say it ain’t so lucy! I feel used!

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Oh I know… but I like giving back on here…

The report from the Network for Public Education lists several examples from Michigan in which charter school operators paid themselves, or their family members, tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees for schools that never opened.

It appears that the head person in Michigan is very aware of problems with in the program. That’s a good start to fixing it. My question is…who wrote the rules and do they still have a job?

“The most disturbing thing that I found from reviewing the documentation from these grants was that there really appeared to be no prohibition on conflicts of interest,” Ulbrich says.

It is all going exactly as planned. They should all give a big thanks to Ms. DeVos.

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It’s 500 million nationwide, that was just one state.

Just another reason to shut down the Department of Education and end all federal interference in education.

Obviously, States are going to be less vigilant in spending “free” money from the feds, versus spending money raised from their own taxpayers.

Cut off the money flow from the feds.

Yes, States and localities will have to substantially raise taxes to make up the difference, but THEY are the ones wholly tasked under the Constitution to handle education within their respective borders.

Reducing homestead exemptions and limits on home assessments would raise substantial income. At the State level, something as simple as an extra penny in sales tax would likely wipe out most or even all of the shortfall.

And because it is raised from their OWN taxpayers and not showered down from on high, State and localities will be far more vigilant in spending it.

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In your discussion of taxes, I note the absence of the notion that the feds spend less therefore they tax less.
:slight_smile:

They won’t spend less, they will just spend it on other crap, lets get real.

Terrible idea…

Just what we need, each state setting their own education standards.

Education is a power reserved to the several States, like it or not, that is the proper prerogative of the States.

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I am happy that I voted no on that proposition when I was in California back in 2008.

Doesn’t make it any less stupid to have 50 states with 50 different educational standards. The ripple effects would be catastrophic.

As a matter of fact, removing the Dept of Ed would have an adverse affect on the states with less GDP than others. California would be fine, but Alabama?

We have a temporary one cent sales tax that’s been in place for ten years, good luck adding another penny to it around here, and understandably so.

We’ve had a temporary tax here since 1936 to rebuild Johnstown after the flood. Progress has obviously been terribly slow, since the tax is still in effect…

They’d better get cracking!

It goes to the general fund now. There is absolutely no such thing as a temporary tax. Not at all. Pennsylvania sucks for alcohol. So restrictive, and a bunch of retirees manning the state liquor stores. It would be fantastic to have a place like total wine, with employees who are actually knowledgeable.

Sorry to go off topic, just had to vent.

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That is a pipe dream, too. States will just raise their own taxes, too.

Not on the rich, of course, who will just move somewhere else. So the middle class will get it in the neck as per usual.

It’s too bad all this money - $500 million - is being robbed from us by all those illegal aliens in charge of charter schools… oh, wait… it’s native-born Americans who are robbing us blind.

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