MINNEAPOLIS -- A report from the St. Paul think tank Minnesota 2020 says more than 80 percent of Minnesota charter schools had at least one problem on their 2007 financial audits.
The group is trying to draw attention to what they call a lack of oversight for charter schools, which are independent, tuition-free public schools that compete with traditional district schools.
According to the report called "Checking on Charter Schools," the worst of the worst schools allegedly had between ten and 14 violations each.
The report says Aurora Charter School in Minneapolis was one of the worst schools in the state with ten violations among them, miscalculated payroll and a conflict of interest while preparing financial statements. Minnesota 2020 says the school has a history of audit infractions since it opened in 2000.
The report didn't include data on the share of traditional schools that had problems on their financial audits. State Education Department officials tell the St. Paul Pioneer Press they don't have that information available.
Minnesota 2020 Executive Director John Van Hecke says with all the talk about the need for accountability at public schools, it's time for more accountability at charter schools.
Minnesota had 145 charter schools in 2007 with more than 28,000 students. That's about three percent of the state's K-12 population.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
