The board of Corvian Community School, a K-12 charter school in northeast Charlotte, fired its founding director at a special meeting Wednesday night, citing mismanagement of school resources and problems with workplace culture.
Stacey Haskell founded Corvian as a small private school in 2010, according to the school’s website. In 2012, the state approved it as a charter school — that is, a publicly funded school run by an independent board. Over the years it has expanded to a K-12 school with about 1,300 students on two campuses. A new elementary school building is under construction, with plans to open next year.
After a special board meeting Wednesday night, the board notified families that it had voted unanimously to fire Haskell, effective immediately.
“The decision follows an independent review of concerns initially raised to the attention of the Board in October. Though not every concern was substantiated, evidence and testimony presented to the Board demonstrated a pattern of mismanagement of school resources as well as a workplace culture falling short of the inclusive community of learning embraced in Corvian’s mission,” the email from board Chair Ed Franklin and Vice Chair Jesh Humphrey says.
The board named an interim director and said it will retain a financial consultant. It’s also looking at proposals from charter groups that could take over finances and operations.
Emergency meetings and construction debt
The board’s minutes show there was an emergency closed-session meeting on Oct. 26 to discuss a personnel matter, and a second emergency meeting on Oct. 31 that resulted in a resolution “authorizing signatories on (Corvian Community School) bank accounts and credit cards.”
Charter schools receive per-pupil funding from the state, and school districts must pass along a per-pupil share of county money as well. The state Office of Charter Schools has oversight.
The state has allotted almost $8.7 million to Corvian "year to date," according to the Department of Public Instruction. The school's full budget was not available.
State Charter School Director Ashley Baquero said Thursday that her office learned that the board had launched "a third-party investigation" several weeks ago. Her office "has been in contact with the school’s attorney and board to ensure that the school remains financially and operationally stable" and continues to support the school, she said.
"OCS has not seen the investigation’s report, but head of school terminations are the authority of the school’s board and it’s clear the board has been transparent with stakeholders in its decisions regarding leadership," Baquero said.
Charter schools generally don’t get public money to buy or lease facilities, though the General Assembly this year authorized county governments to provide capital funding for charter schools.
The Corvian board’s most recent IRS nonprofit report, filed in May for the 2021-22 fiscal year, indicates the school borrowed $21.4 million in 2017 to retire a construction loan and build a high school, and $22.5 million in 2019 for a new elementary school and middle school athletic facility. Both were done through tax-exempt bonds issued through the Public Finance Authority of Wisconsin.
The IRS report shows Haskell received $164,550 in compensation for 2021-22. The 2022-23 report is not available.
Corvian board statement
Here’s the full message sent to parents Wednesday night:
Dear Corvian Families, Teachers, and Staff:
Earlier tonight, at a special meeting of the Corvian Community School Board of Directors, the Board voted unanimously to dismiss Executive Director Stacey Haskell, effective immediately.
The decision follows an independent review of concerns initially raised to the attention of the Board in October. Though not every concern was substantiated, evidence and testimony presented to the Board demonstrated a pattern of mismanagement of school resources as well as a workplace culture falling short of the inclusive community of learning embraced in Corvian’s mission.
This was not a decision that was made lightly. Ms. Haskell founded Corvian, and under her leadership we have grown from a small private school with 15 students to a K-12 charter school with 1,300 students with state-of-the-art academic and athletic facilities, including a brand-new elementary school on track to open in fall of 2024. Corvian’s existence and growth is a result of Ms. Haskell’s vision and tenacity, and the Board’s sincere hope and expectation was that she would continue in her role as long as she desired. At the core of Corvian’s success, however, is our commitment as a school community to The Corvian Way, and all of us are accountable for adhering to its principles and shared expectations.
Although the review process has been trying for all involved, it has provided some encouraging moments. It allowed the Board to confirm the financial health of the school remains strong. It identified opportunities for policy and process improvements that will ensure the school’s long-term success. It provided a platform for teachers and administrators to come forward and express concerns they had previously felt reluctant to share. Parents have reached out to offer their partnership and support, and hundreds of members of the Corvian community have pledged to work together to ensure we emerge from a difficult time stronger than ever before.
The Board is committed to continued communication and transparency as we navigate toward that goal. Here’s what we can share with certainty tonight:
- Nicki Sinclair will continue to serve as Interim Executive Director until further notice. The Board will discuss the options and process for permanently filling the Executive Director role in the coming weeks.
- To support Ms. Sinclair and her team through the transition and allow them to focus on student wellbeing, the Board has retained a temporary CFO consultant. The Board is currently reviewing proposals from charter school support organizations that provide back office financial and operational services, and expects a contract will be executed within the next few days.
- The Board is engaged in thorough revision of its fiscal policies to address gaps identified through the independent review. Revised fiscal policies will be adopted at an upcoming board meeting, and will be a first step toward a holistic review and revision of Corvian policies and procedures.
- As mentioned in our previous message, Corvian administrators have committed to holding an open “State of the School” meeting on January 29, 2024. Information about the format, time, and location of the meeting will be shared between now and that date.
- The Board and administration will work alongside a newly formed parent group to address additional concerns raised by the Corvian Community. The Board, administration, and parent group are collectively committed to building trust and partnering to openly discuss concerns and issues, work toward solutions, and provide a safe learning environment where Corvian students and staff feel valued and are positioned to succeed.
- The Board and administration will also look for opportunities to expand parental involvement with respect to fundraising efforts through the Cardinal Parent Advisory Committee (PAC), which has been instrumental in coordinating teacher and staff appreciation events and campus support activities over the past several years.
Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and for the opportunity to work hand-in-hand to uphold The Corvian Way. Our future is bright.
Sincerely,
Ed Franklin, Chair
Jesh Humphrey, Vice Chair
On behalf of the Corvian Community School Board of Directors
