PRESCOTT VALLEY - Two students involved in a violent attack on a fellow student April 10 at the Yavapai County Fair Association Achieve Academy in Prescott Valley will not be returning to the charter school.
The Achieve Academy Governing Board voted unanimously Monday afternoon to expel two minors involved in the attack. Because of the minor privacy act the governing board did not identify the students or how they were involved.
The attack left the 14-year-old victim unconscious. A digital tape showing a 14-year-old girl hitting another student on the head with a metal folding chair ended up on the Internet.
The governing board decided to expel the students after discussing the matter in executive session.
Governing board president Jim Grundy said the students have 10 days to appeal the board's decision.
The expulsion hearing was the only item on the board's special session agenda. The special session replaced the board's regular meeting.
Parents of students attending the school spoke to the governing board during the Call to the Public.
The parents support the concept of an agricultural school. However, they think the school has moved away from that concept and they have questions about the charter school's finances.
Two of Kelly Levine's children attend Achieve Academy.
"We need an agricultural school in this community. But we seem to be getting away from the concept because of a lack of money," Levine said.
She said the school needs its welding and construction programs in order to "get kids back into this school. I don't understand where all the money went. If the students don't have what they need, they are going to leave."
Levine asked the governing board to establish a committee of parents, community members, fair board members and others to look at the school's finances and "figure out where the money is going."
Brenda Pendergast thinks she knows where the money is going. She said the problem is the amount of money the school pays to lease the building - $17,000 a month.
Pendergast asked for copies of the current lease. She said the school should renegotiate the lease and management agreement with the fairgrounds.
She said the governing board sold two parcels of land donated to the school. However, Pendergast said the school did not receive any money or get credit for the sale.
Pendergast obtained affidavits of purchase from the County Assessor's Office that show Achieve Academy sold three parcels of vacant land in September 2006 to Fairgrounds RV, LLC of Tempe for $665,280.
Achieve Academy sold an additional 11.6 acres of vacant land in April 2007 to Building Exchange Company of Flagstaff for $770,814.
Pendergast said, "The money is not coming to the school."
She said the May 10 attack was an "unfortunate incident. If the fair board wants a school for delinquents, they can run it."
Returning to the issue of Achieve Academy being an agricultural school, James Olsen said his family has a history of raising quality dairy goats.
"My family has offered to donate goats to start a dairy program at this school. They have made the offer for the past three years with no response," Olsen said.
Pendergast said she would take her concerns and questions to the Fair Board Association.
Posted: Monday, May 05, 2008
Article comment by:
Brenda Pendergast
oh - Sharon Fischer has given us the number!!! it is $23,666.00 per month rent and then an additionsl $17,000.00 for the management agreement for a grand total of $40,666.00 per month - but the school is broke and in debt and we have to let teachers go and have bus drivers cover their classes. We must, as parents & teachers work together to correct the problems - and I will not stop until there are answers and changes!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INTEREST!!!
Brenda Pendergast
Posted: Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Article comment by:
Concerned about those kids
No one is asking where the $250,000 worth of equipment that was donated has disappeared to. Jim Grundy who is the fairgrounds manager and also the school board president (Isn't that a conflict of interest?) knew that they couldn't secure the equipment when the deal was made to get it from another school that was shutting down. He neglected to take care of it and it has all walked away. Auto shop equipment welding equipment. I think there needs to be a grand jury investigation into that as well. And for everyones info the school pays the fair grounds $56,000 a month in rent.
Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Article comment by:
Brenda Pendergast
THANK YOU PAULA! however the school pays $350,000.00 per year in rent and an additional $17,000.00 for a "SO CALLED" Management agreement to handle the books which makes the grand total over $40,000.00 PER MONTH - no wonder there is no money to Run a decent school!!!!!
Posted: Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Article comment by:
henry1
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