- April 19, 2024
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Citing governance and financial concerns, the Flagler County School Board last week unanimously denied an application from The Leona Group for a for-profit charter school.
“The denial is based on the fact that the questions that were directed to The Leona Group that dealt with governance and finance were not answered to my satisfaction,” said Stewart Maxcy, charter school liaison, at the Nov. 7 meeting.
The application was for the management company’s Flagler Charter Academy of Excellence, which would serve nonnative English speakers from sixth to 12th grade.
Last month, the School Board delayed a decision to accept The Leona Group’s application, saying more information was needed about its governing board and budgets, as well as with responses to complaints raised by other districts that have contracted with the company.
The Leona Group began schools in 2006 in Florida, and operates in four other counties.
Chuck Malatesta, regional vice president for The Leona Group, said in a separate interview that he was disappointed with the School Board's decision.
"We spent more than a year and a half working on the application, and we were really excited to give parents in Flagler a choice for their child's education," Malatesta said.
With the denial last week, The Leona Group has 30 days to file an appeal with the state, Maxcy said. If Leona files an appeal, the district has 10 days to provide a 20-page response.
Malatesta said he was waiting for the written denial from the School Board before a decision to appeal will be made.
"We did meet all the statutory requirements, but I respect the board's decision and I understand they are hesitant to approve another charter because of the one they closed in the past," Malatesta said. "They have a job to do, and they feel they are making the best decision at the present moment."
At the meeting, School Board member Coleen Conklin listed off several grades of other charter schools run by The Leona Group. The purpose of charter schools, Conklin said, are to provide curricula that the school district isn’t currently offering. She said Flagler currently offers what The Leona Group focuses on: STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
“We’ve been down the road before ... with a management company that did not do right by our students and by our families and by those teachers,” Conklin said. “And I’m not painting with a broad brush; however, that is our experience to date. There were very valuable lessons we learned in that process.”
School Board member Andy Dance agreed, adding: “I think the component of local involvement is critical and, without having that information, I’m not likely to move forward on this.”
Dance then suggested the group reapply next year.
School Board member John Fischer said there is a need for a charter school at the high school level. But because of the unanswered questions, Fischer suggested the company wait a year, too.
Dance said there has been positive feedback regarding The Leona Group's Florida-based schools, but said, "It’s not a long enough track record, though. And another year’s data and some of the promises that they made about curriculum and new things they were bringing to the table to increase test scores will be evident by the next application."
