Reading Star Academy of Excellence

“Volusia School Board votes to close troubled charter.” Orlando Sentinel (FL), 4/24/2012   

Volusia County School Board members voted unanimously Tuesday to shutter a first-year charter school after learning about 21 academic and management violations at the school.

Reading Star Academy of Excellence, a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade charter school, will shut its doors in July unless its managers ask for a hearing...

District staff told the Volusia board that Reading Star students worked in cramped rooms, and students learning English and those with disabilities didn't get proper services. The school had few books and, in general, "there was little evidence of (Reading Star) students actually reading."

Staff also faulted the school leadership for failing to sufficiently oversee about $600,000 in taxpayer dollars and failing to background check its board members and a consultant who has a criminal record.

Some of Reading Star's leaders were at the helm of the failed Imani Elementary Charter School in Orlando when it was shuttered last year because of many of the same troubles. To date, Imani has not repaid Orange County Schools for $22,000 worth of services...