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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

MURRAY — It had all the trappings of any high school graduation: caps, gowns, proud parents snapping photos, soaring speeches about hopes and dreams for the future.

But commencement ceremonies at American International School of Utah Friday were unique in that the class of 2019 will be the last to graduate from the public charter school, which is closing. A group of 135 students graduated during ceremonies at the school.

"It was a mix of celebratory and sadness, but I think that's how most graduations are as everyone takes the next steps. It didn't feel much different than it normally would, which was good," said the school's marketing director Jordan King.

In May, the school's board's board of directors voted to close the school amid concerns about the school's financial viability, the likelihood of further state scrutiny of its operations and the possibility of additional liabilities.

The school closure displaced some 1,300 students and 170 full- and part-time employees.

"It's kind of like we're all graduating from AISU," King said.

Instead of spending the summer ramping up for the next academic year by hiring teachers and staff, assigning classrooms and making other instructional plans, the school's leaders have been busy readying documents to help students transfer to new schools and taking an inventory of the school's assets.

"I have to say they've done a really good job with the student records. They know where the kids are going, or if they don't, they're finding out what schools they're going to be placed in so all of those records will be turned over to us," said Deputy State Superintendent of Operations Scott Jones.

Seniors in the last graduating class of the American International School of Utah wait to receive their diplomas as the school conducts its final day of school and graduation ceremony in Murray on Friday, June 7, 2019. Last month, The public charter school's board of directors voted to shutter the school. (Photo: Steve Griffin, KSL)

AISU officials met with top state education officers Friday to discuss the next steps of the school closure, which include working with Squire & Co, a certified accounting firm retained by the Utah State Charter School Board, "to assist in reconciliations and the process of moving forward," said Jones.

One issue that looms large is a finding by the state special education officials that the school must repay $170,000 in federal special education funds by June 26.

A state review found the school needs to repay a total of $415,689 in state and federal special education funding which state officials say were improperly spent or the school lacked proper documentation for the expenditures.

While the state has forgiven expenditures of some charter schools in the past, the federal government insists on repayment and a school closure is not an acceptable rationale to seek forgiveness, according to one court decision.

It is unclear how the school would repay the costs since its last state funding will be paid in July, but liquidating some school assets will likely help the school meet obligations, Jones said.

In all, the school's obligations may be as high as $750,000, but the exact figure will not be known until the certified accounting firm retained by the Utah State Charter School Board staff completes its review of the school's expenditures, revenues and assets, he said.

Valedictorian Alexandra Mulet addresses her classmates as the American International School of Utah conducts its final day of school and graduation ceremony in Murray on Friday, June 7, 2019. Last month, The public charter school's board of directors voted to shutter the school. (Photo: Steve Griffin, KSL)

Jones said he hopes that the school's board of directors will come up with options for the elected state school board to consider as the closure process continues. That could include asking the board to write off its debt or other interventions.

As for the federal special funds, Jones said he is confident the school will deliver a check for the full amount to state officials later this month.

The State School Board staff's review of special education expenditures focused on the 2016, 2017 and 2018 fiscal years.

Current board members and school officers blame much of the school's current financial and record-keeping problems on previous operators. The school had operated at a deficit for a number of years but was in the midst of a course correction this academic year, said Tasi Young, AISU's executive director, in a previous interview.

King said the primary goal at the school this week was to end the school year on a positive note.

The school community came together at a carnival at the school hosted by AISU's parent teacher organization.

To that end, Young, while addressing AISU's board of directors earlier this week, said he had urged the faculty and staff to fully participate in the event "as a big celebration of everything that's happened here over the years."

It's kind of like we're all graduating from AISU.

–Jordan King, AISU marketing director

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Embattled Utah charter school conducts final graduation as it prepares to close

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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

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SALT LAKE CITY - Utah State Auditor John Dougall was appointed interim director of the now-shuttered American International School of Utah Tuesday.

The Utah State Charter School Board, after meeting in closed session for more than two hours, voted unanimously to remove AISU Executive Director Tasi Young and appoint the Utah State Auditor's Office to see through the closure of the public charter school.

Utah State Charter School Board Executive Director Jennifer Lambert said the decision to appoint the state auditor is a first for the board.

"We felt that was the best tack to take to be able to get the information to uncover things. If there's potential problems that arise, he has maybe a little more clout to be able to handle some of the issues that they're dealing with at the moment. AISU is dealing with a number of very difficult issues, so we felt maybe he was better poised to handle those issues," Lambert said.

Young, who oversaw the school in its final year of operation, declined to comment on the decision.

Earlier in the day, Young told charter school board members that he felt the school did the best it could do and strived to make sure the interests of the school community and educators were served and the "dignity of public charter schools (was) preserved."

"I fully understand this may have disappointed people, that other people may have been able to do this better. But I believe we have settled all claims in a way that satisfies all claims in a better position than any court could have allowed if we had to go through a legal process," he said.

AISU's board of directors voted in May to close the school amid growing concerns about the school's financial viability, the likelihood of further state scrutiny of its operations and the possibility of additional liabilities.

Just eight months ago "it seemed like AISU was ... making strong progress and then relatively quickly we became aware of other things, other findings, and it became devastating to us. There were financial obligations that caused the school to eventually close," Young said.

Since then, the school has worked to ensure student records were properly transferred to the state, he said. The school provided a list of all its creditors and searched for all the records of claims for secured assets.

"To this date, the only security interests we were able to discover was the security interests of the landlords," he said.

There were some obligations the school could not meet, but they "were negotiated and settled for less than 10 cents on the dollar. Of our obligations to the state, we made a proposal for more than 25 cents on the dollar. We feel we are still attempting to put the state and the taxpayers in a more favorable, prioritized position over the other obligations we've tried to meet," Young said.

Young assured the board that AISU plans to return all assets to its authorizer, which is the State Charter School Board, "once all of our obligations have been discharged."

One unresolved issue is repayment to the state of more than $418,000 in federal and state special education funds that officials say were inappropriately spent or there is no documentation to support the expenditures.

This spring, the Utah State Board of Education ordered repayment of the funds, which AISU appealed.

Young said the appeal was "denied in part and reduced in part. AISU continues to dispute or would like to continue to dispute those costs were unallowable and will do so (if it can) but it has also made a proposal to make a settlement with the state for those findings."

It is unclear how that issues will be addressed now that a new director is in place at the school.

Tuesday morning, the Utah State Board of Education's Finance Committee deferred action on financial issues related to the school closure.

"The full board may consider this item in executive session under the exception of reasonably imminent litigation," said committee Chairwoman Laura Belnap, reading a prepared statement.

The statement continued: "It is vital to ensure that our limited public education funds are carefully used and accounted for and that the board recovers unallowable expenditures of state and federal funds by taking advantage of any and all legal remedies."

The state has, in the past, forgiven expenditures of some charter schools that have closed, the federal government insists on repayment of special education funding. School closure is not an acceptable reason to seek forgiveness, according to one court decision.

The Finance Committee's agenda also indicated concern over liquidation of the school's assets.

A letter to AISU by the Utah Attorney General's Office says "AISU's 'plan' to not liquidate the assets of this public school is no plan at all. AISU's 'plan' to leave the public school assets in the sole possession of its former landlord, a private entity, who is one of evidently several creditors, smacks of favoritism, is not authorized by the State Charter School Board."

Moreover, the letter signed by assistant attorney general David C. Jones, attorney for the State Charter School Board, said "it is in violation of ... (state) statute which clearly envision the assets will be liquidated."

The letter says "AISU's immediate remedy is to liquidate the assets and not sit on them nor store them/give them away to your former landlord."

The school's landlord is Schoolhouse Development LLC, whose partners include Scott Brand, Corey Brand and Glenn Way, a former Utah state lawmaker. AISU is one of many schools on the charter school development firm's website.

AISU has vacated the building due to nonpayment of its lease, said Scott Brand. The school has a current 20-year lease with Schoolhouse Development but it was in the building less than five years, he said.

Schoolhouse Development received no payment for the school's last two lease installments totaling nearly $400,000, Brand wrote in an email.

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State auditor named interim director of shuttered Utah charter school

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SALT LAKE CITY - Utah State Auditor John Dougall was appointed interim director of the now-shuttered American International School of Utah Tuesday. The Utah State Charter School Board, after meeting in closed session for more than two hours, voted unanimously to remove AISU Executive Director Tasi Young and appoint the Utah State Auditor's Office to see through the closure of the public charter school.

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Charter Solutions: The Root of the Problem In Our Face

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Charter Solutions: The Root of the Problem In Our Face

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Beyond the Books: People who regulate charter schools also make millions off them

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State Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (Dist. 10) is one of the foremost experts on charter schools in the state legislature. That makes sense given that he runs Charter Solutions, a company that from 2015 to 2018 has collected $5. 7 million in fees from charter schools.

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AISU founder spent ‘like there was no tomorrow,’ former lawmaker says - Deseret News

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SALT LAKE CITY - A former state senator who two decades ago carried legislation establishing charter schools in Utah shed light on the recent closure of American International School of Utah, a public charter school in Murray.

"There were early warning signs five years ago they were in deficits, they were in bad shape management-wise," former Sen. Howard Stephenson told the Utah Legislature's Education Interim Committee on Wednesday.

"It's a shame that we didn't have ways of intervening earlier on to remediate those kinds of things, because we had a director that was spending like there was no tomorrow," said Stephenson.

Stephenson, a former Republican lawmaker who spoke at the school's dedication, said he believed AISU was "the vision of what I thought of when I envisioned a charter school being a different option of what you typically see."

The school's closure was "a tragedy" because it didn't shutter because of academic performance. Students and faculty thrived at AISU, he said.

"They closed because of incompetence on the part of financial managers of the school and the board itself not taking the control they should have," he said.

According to the school's charter application, AISU's developer and superintendent was Michael Farley and chairman of its board of directors was Richard Maxfield.

Problems with financial management and lack of oversight coupled with the school's unique structure - a partnership among a public charter school, a private school and a private management company - "led to the perfect storm," Stephenson said.

AISU's then-board of directors voted in May to close the school amid growing concern about its financial viability. The school's last day of operation was June 30.

Earlier this year, AISU was ordered by the Utah State Board of Education to refund more than $415,000 in federal and state special education funds that state officials said were improperly spent or lacked documentation to support the expenditures.

Repayment of the funds remains outstanding, although liquidation of some of the school's assets is underway, and those proceeds could be used to address what is owed.

Stephenson said "all of those special ed kids got the services they should have received. It was jots and tittles in the filing that was the problem."

Meanwhile, the state school board has established a task force to to study public charter schools' accounting practices, use of restricted funds and their operations.

"I congratulate you for that but I ask you to consider a recommendation that this is a public issue rather than a private issue. The reason I say that is, ultimately, we're dealing with public funds and recommendations that relate to public funds," said Rep. Lowry Snow, R-Santa Clara, co-chairman of the Education Interim Committee.

"I think it's important we have some level of transparency."

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Early AISU director spent money 'like there was no tomorrow,' former state senator tells legislative committee

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SALT LAKE CITY - A former state senator who two decades ago carried legislation establishing charter schools in Utah shed light on the recent closure of American International School of Utah, a public charter school in Murray. "There were early warning signs five years ago they were in deficits, they were in bad shape management-wise," former Sen.

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Parent, former teacher at defunct AISU charter school still 'hurting' after its demise

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It’s a new school year, but there’s still grief over the closing of the troubled American International School of Utah. KUTV. “I feel devastated by the loss of everything we have worked toward,“ said Jessica Benson, mother of an AISU student, and former teacher at the school. “We’re all still very much hurting.

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The Utah attorney general's office weighed earlier this year whether to prosecute the founder of a mismanaged charter school for possible financial misconduct. But, in the end, investigators determined there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction.

"The attorneys weren't confident they were going to get anything," said Richard Piatt, spokesman for the attorney general's office, on Tuesday.

The decision to not charge Michael Farley, who created the American International School of Utah (AISU), was made in February. A law firm hired by the charter had reviewed Farley's work after his controversial departure and sent its allegations to the attorney general's office. In a letter released this week, the director of the A.G.'s white collar and commercial enforcement division said it was "unlikely that a criminal conviction could be secured."

Instead, the A.G.'s office filed a lawsuit on Friday against the school and the for-profit company that owns it - and it's still related to the school's financial troubles. The suit asserts that AISU improperly agreed to sell all its assets to the company rather than surrendering them to investors or to taxpayers, who are on the hook for the school's debts.

The suit seeks the termination of the sales contract with the company and a temporary restraining orde that would prevent the company from benefitting financially as the school shuts down over poor performance.

Tasi Young, who succeeded Farley as director and has since left the post himself, now heads the company. Young said the school never owned the property and that the furniture was paid for by investors.

"This latest thing with the lawsuit, it borders on ridiculousness and utter waste of resources," said Young. "I just don't know if this is incompetence at the state level or if they have some larger strategy. I don't think this is legal rocket science."

Young said the agreement to sells assets was actually meant to release any claims that the company had on the property, and he doesn't intend to fight the lawsuit. But Young said he's frustrated that the state is stepping in now - instead of helping when the charter could have used advice and support.

"[The state] denied us resources," he added. "They denied us help."

Farley, though, was at the center of discussions involving the charter's poor financial standing after the school's board of directors voted to shutter the school last spring under pressure to repay debts. AISU will officially be out of business on Aug. 15.

The institution was first placed on "warning status" late last year for the money it owed - which several administrators at the school blame on mistakes made by Farley, who left after three years of running the charter and the company that owns it.

After years of concern in Utah about the oversight of charter schools, the legal actions involving AISU are a rarity. The potential criminal charge against Farley, for instance, is one of the first times such a case has been considered.

Piatt, the A.G.'s spokesman, said he didn't know specifics about why there wasn't enough evidence to file charges. But AISU has had issues since its founding five years ago. And Farley was the only person investigated in connection to the school, Piatt added.

"I never had any concern on legal issues," Farley responded Tuesday. "But there's nothing I can say that's going to tilt the balance."

He said he's become the scapegoat for the school's ongoing problems. And he contemplated filing a wrongful termination suit.

"I don't accept at all the characterization they've made of me," Farley said. "They, for the last two years, have been repeating this narrative that I think is self-serving and not accurate, and it's damaged my reputation."

The school owes the state and federal government $415,689 that was earmarked for special education. AISU, according to a scathing audit published by the Utah Board of Education, spent that money instead on salaries and health benefits or otherwise didn't properly document it. The debt, due on June 26, has not been paid.

The school also faces potentially millions of dollars in other unspecified debt, according to Jordan King a school spokesman.

Closing of the charter school has been messy. Earlier this month, the Utah Charter School Board voted to remove Young, replacing him with state Auditor John Dougall.

At the same time, members of AISU's board of directors - who had already signed the July 11 sales agreement with the company - resigned.

But they all resigned, too, because the school ran out of liability insurance.

So now the lawsuit filed by the attorney general's office will be among the last efforts to recover the money owed by school. The lawyers worry that desks, chairs, computers and other property there will be handed over to AIS LLC instead of to the state or other debtors who are owed.

"They didn't have the authority to do that [agreement] under statute," said Assistant Attorney General Alain Balmanno. "We feel fairly strongly that we're right."

He suggested the board may have signed it to help the LLC benefit financially from the closure. Balmanno filed the request to terminate that contract last week and for a temporary restraining order Monday.

As the process of closing the school continues, the Utah Board of Education will have a chance to weigh in Thursday and the state auditor intends to release the results of an investigation into the finances at the charter in December.

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Utah prosecutors considered - but then declined - to charge a charter school founder. Instead, the A.G.'s office filed a new lawsuit against the school.

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The Utah attorney general's office weighed earlier this year whether to prosecute the founder of a mismanaged charter school for possible financial misconduct. But, in the end, investigators determined there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction. "The attorneys weren't confident they were going to get anything," said Richard Piatt, spokesman for the attorney general's office, on Tuesday.

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Tribune Editorial: Charter school accountability? We’re still hoping - The Salt Lake Tribune

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We've been here before. A charter school dies in a fiery crash, and Utah leaders decide charters need a closer watch.

The charter system was created by the Utah Legislature out of a belief that outliers were the best way to bring innovation to schools. Convinced the innovators shouldn't be shackled, legislators gave wide berth for charters to develop their own financial models.

That has turned charter education into a bit of a dice roll.

The innovators, it seems, can be speculators. If they can sell enough parents on their concept, there's taxpayer money waiting to be tapped. Many schools succeed. Some fail. It's gambling with children. Whatever the limitations of traditional public schools, they don't just vanish like some charters do.

And it's not just about the failures. It's about the time it takes to recognize them.

In the case of AISU, it literally took years of financial mismanagement before the Utah Charter School Board finally cracked down. By then, it had apparently misspent hundreds of thousands of public dollars.

In 2015, it was Allianza Academy. After putting the school on probation for financial problems for a year, the Utah Charter School Board announced a week before school started that it should be terminated. Not surprisingly, there weren't enough kids who showed up the next week to continue, so parents of 260 students had to scramble for new schools.

The Board of Education's latest move is tacit recognition that the people it tried to delegate to - the Charter School Board - hasn't provided the necessary oversight. What is particularly frustrating is the taxpayer funds that the charters get isn't even coming from the state. It comes from the school districts where the charters reside, and those districts have no control over how the money is spent.

The charter school board is the classic regulatory closed loop. Overseeing charter schools requires charter school experience, the argument goes, which only charter school operators tend to have. As a result, the people watching the wallet are the ones who want to keep that wallet open.

It's time for real reform of the financial oversight of charter schools. After a decade of fixes that didn't fix, this task force should look at a complete overhaul.

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By The Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board

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Tribune Editorial: Charter school accountability? We're still hoping

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We've been here before. A charter school dies in a fiery crash, and Utah leaders decide charters need a closer watch. The charter system was created by the Utah Legislature out of a belief that outliers were the best way to bring innovation to schools.

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Commentary from Diane Longhurst Johnson...

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Commentary from Diane Longhurst Johnson...

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"So here is something...
I write because the closure of AISU still really hurts, me, my kids, the entire AISU community.  Seeing this article feels like vinegar in an open wound.

"$82.6 M in school trust land funds coming to Utah schools" --- but for some reason, the SCSB wouldn't work with AISU administration in their final efforts to remedy the few remaining fiscal issues caused by the previous management.

This, even though what the SCSB claimed was owed was a miniscule fraction of this surplus.

This, even after AISU had come back from a nearly $3 M operating deficit in less than 2 years to be break even in the end of this FY.

This, even after AISU leadership has remedied nearly all remaining issues and were in the final stages of correcting the last couple of concerns which were within a few weeks of complete resolution.

This, even though in 2017, the AISU board and administration approached the SCSB, in good faith, for guidance when they first discovered the severity of the issues that had occured under the previous management as they investigated issues raised in the audit.

This, this even though a substantial part of the "special ed" funds issues for AISU that contributed to the decision to close it, were caused by a disagreement between Charter Solutions, an accounting firm that works with many of the Utah charter schools, and the State School Board regarding accounting practices for restricted funds.  Interestingly, not long after this disagreement came to light, the State Auditor issued this:

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/5f233bf90eb35eff2448bc48e/files/ad69d7c4-a4d5-49b9-bb65-7e9a113c7e70/2019_01_Source_of_GAAP_for_Charter_Schools_Draft.pdf

What is really going on?

In effect, despite these surplus funds for "education in Utah", the SCSB functionally forced the shut down of an amazing school and displaced 1300 students, many of them "at-risk", 170 facutly and staff.

Perhaps surplus funds for "education in Utah" are only for some kids in some schools.  AISU had always had a larger than typical at-risk population.

At AISU, "at-risk" kids were thriving and gaining incredible skills.  It is true that, in the early years, the standardized test scores were not great, but they were coming up.  Other valid measures of academic gain were impressive.  As an assessment expert and someone with a PhD in Education and nearly 30 years in the field, I can tell you that standardized tests are not valid measures of achievement for "at-risk" kids.  This year, AISU's graduation rate was over 90%.  Yet -- AISU was forced to close.

After having witnessed how the SCSB and the USBE dealt with AISU and seeing the consequences on real Utah kids, families, and teachers as a result of the lack of coordination between the SCSB and the USBE, it is time for this dual governance system to be reconsidered.

For Utah, the current system of dual governance of public schooling is not productive for the students, families, and taxpayers.

https://www.ksl.com/article/46617117/record-826m-in-school-trust-lands-funds-coming-to-utah-schools"

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May his legacy of kindness be celebrated by all.

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I spent the evening yesterday at a birthday party for one of my son's former classmates from AISU. The party was full of AISU kids, from First Grade to 12th Grade. I spoke to everyone of them, it was amazing how each one is now at a different school. It was also heart-wrenching to hear their feedback about their new experiences. The feedback ranged from, "Its okay, but I still miss AISU," (First Grader,) to "I hate it," (Senior). Another senior said, "It's okay, but it just doesn't have the magic that AISU had."

I was just thinking, if you ever decide to continue covering our story, it might be interesting for you to interview former students like these.

I think it's also interesting, if not heart-breaking to note the following: AISU has virtually NO bullying. As a group, I believe we attributed that fact to our celebration of diversity, all-inclusive mentality, and sense of unity. Whatever the reason, we never had to worry about our students being bullied.

Now that these kiddos are all spread around the valley at new schools, they have been exposed to bullying. Especially the younger kids, former students from Kindergarten, through Fifth Grade. Parents have been sharing their stories in our AISU Facebook group daily, and our community supports each other through this tough transition. I personally know a couple of these kids that are being bullied at their new schools, and they are some of the SWEETEST, smartest kiddos you could ever hope to meet. One such boy was a former classmate of my son, and the child of a an AISU employee. When I shared with my son what had happened to his friend, he was so upset and stricken with worry, exclaiming, "How could they do that to Archer? Everybody loves Archer!"

If you ever want to speak with any of the individuals I am referring to, I would be happy to organize that for you so you can connect directly. I know they would all be willing to share with you, following your honest and accurate coverage of our story last Thursday.

I don't know if you have had a chance to look at any of those documents that sent you, I certainly understand if your schedule has not permitted. If there is just one thing I think you might want to look over, it would be this letter that Assistant Attorney General Kent Burgraaf wrote to your colleague Chris Jones, in response to the lawsuits against the former voluntary board members of AISU to recoup the money still owed for SPED funding.

This letter really exposes a significant piece of the AISU story, and although he emailed this to Chris Jones almost two weeks ago, there has not been one iota of media coverage about this side of the story. That in and of itself raising serious questions in my mind. I will send you the  attachment again, and if you want to see any of the court/lawsuit docs/evidence that he references within the letter, just let me know and I can send them to you immediately.

Lastly, I feel compelled to share the following with you, I hope it might provide you with a more comprehensive picture of what my current perspective is on the situation with regard to the USBE and SCSB.

I have it on good authority that the USBE has been treating the SCSB much like they have treated AISU. They instructed the Charter Board to take the actions that they took along the way, such as by telling them to inform us of the problems which needed to be addressed, but at the same time offering assistance to get things corrected. But when AISU complied, the USBE then would not allow the Charter Board to follow through with said "help" and support.

Basically, (and this is according to one of the people currently sitting on the Charter Board, Cindy Phillips,) the SCSB may as well not exist, because USBE, which has always had a bias against charters, is acting like judge, jury and executioner, and consequently, SCSB is just another pawn being used in this game the USBE is playing.

The board member I am referring to is beside herself over the closure, because she feels like if this happened to AISU, what's to prevent it from happening to her Charter, or any other Charter out there.

So yes, something is rotten in Denmark, but from the research I have done over the last three months, I can only conclude the real power behind what happened to AISU was in the hands of the USBE.

Also important to note, that same member took the time to write her own letter about the AISU mess and situation between the two boards, which she did send to the legislators. She says so far, those letters have been completely disregarded.

This was at least round 2 of letters sent to the legislators about the situation. Back in May, our students all wrote letters asking for help to save their school, (I'll attach a picture of those letters.)

Currently, parents and some staff are gathering steam to send yet another, third round of letters to those legislators, imploring them to re-evaluate the existing structure for governance of charter schools, and the two board system.

They are also gearing up to file a class-action lawsuit, for making the process to successfully run our school an impossible task-ultimately leading to the closure. The collective opinion seems to be that the situation is looking more and more like our kids and staff paid for the  incompetence of the USBE and SCSB.

The following quote was taken from the FaceBook Group, with regard to the boards filing the lawsuits against our former AISU board members.

"The state is willing to spend more money in legal fees than the school may or may not have owed...due to the state board’s lack of overview and requirements for charter school reporting."

The system is not working. I feel like the chair and board members on the Charter Board are becoming increasingly aware of their disposability. Consequently, the board is nervous and twitchy, probably thinking  about what's coming down the pike, perhaps conflicted about moral obligations and civic duty.

I think the most honorable thing they could do at this juncture is to recuse themselves from their role in serving Utah charter schools. If in the same breath they would publicly disclose the reason for expending the board, it would shed light on the bully at the top, (USBE).

I know the meetings come across as cold and the members seem indifferent, but I think that's actually just because they are trying to cover their own behinds. They have tunnel vision and one thing in mind- how to avoid blame for any wrongdoing that occurred, relating to AISU. And how to protect their own charters.

Again, the recent letter by Kent Burgraaf outlines many details that were not public before and are insightful as to the state, motives, etc.  It is such a travesty on numerous levels.

For a brief moment in time, Utah was on the forefront of education. Utah offered a portal for local kids to be able to participate in their education at an international level. We promoted intercultural understanding and respect, not as an alternative to a sense of cultural and national identity, but as an essential part of life in the 21st century.

We aimed to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who helped to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

For a brief moment, Utah participated alongside other schools across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Re: Lawsuit.pdf

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Assistant Attorney General Acts with Honor, Blows the AISU/ USBE/ Charter Board Scandal WIDE OPEN. THE TRUTH IS EXPOSED! Finally, maybe now the residents of Utah will act on their civil duties and moral obligation to do the right thing and demand the USBE and USCSB boards answer for their transgressions against the taxpayers of Utah!

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J. Bryan Quesenberry Assistant Attorney General

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J. Bryan Quesenberry Assistant Attorney General

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J. Bryan Quesenberry Assistant Attorney General

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This is what I sent to certain members of the media following Tasi Young's removal.

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It is astounding to me that Courtney Tanner and even Royce Van Tassel failed to fact-check on the matter of whether displaced faculty and students had all found new schools. Several times they refer to the subject, claiming all faculty have found new jobs and students new schools.

On behalf of my department, Lower Elementary K-3, I can accurately attest to the fact that only 3 out of 9 teachers have found new jobs.

SIX of the 9 currently remain unemployed.

I can also attest to the inaccuracy of the second part of that statement, that all students have found new schools. There are still a handful of families holding out in the hopes of following their AISU teachers. Other families have actually decided to relocate to other states because of the loss of AISU.

Clearly the individuals being interviewed here didn't even bother to look into this before making this wildly inaccurate claims on air.

This is one of two major mistakes made during this interview. More on the second issue coming soon.

"The closed charter school leaves unpaid debts and unanswered questions in its wake | Episode 67 by Trib Talk on #SoundCloud"

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Courtesy of Diane Longhurst Johnson July 30 ·2019  

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Courtesy of Diane Longhurst Johnson July 30 ·2019  

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Because there are 1300 students and 170 staff who get hurt everytime misinformation, mischaracterizations, and falsehoods are spread. AISU Dragons can be proud of their school.

The truth is worth knowing.

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School board to decide fate of Utah charter school in financial jeopardy

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The future of the American International School of Utah, located in Murray, is still hanging by a thread. That’s after two meetings to discuss the school's fate on Wednesday. The first meeting was a chance for some of the school board members to talk to parents and students about concerns regarding the school's inevitable closure.

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MURRAY, Utah - The American International School of Utah will permanently close at the conclusion of this school year.

The school's board of directors voted unanimously to shut down by August 15, 2019.

A handful of parents and students attended Wednesday's meeting when the decision was made.

Many cried and hugged each other when they realized the finality of the decision.

"There was all this false hope going around that we would be able to rally the school and stay together," said AISU student Jonathan Burgess.

Students who attended AISU for the unique learning environment and close-knit community are struggling to come to terms with this outcome.

"What do you do with all those creative kids that think school is a safe space, and you close it down," Burgess said. "You're sending all those kids and you're separating them. There are students who came to school here to get away from the bullying at public schools."

The school's executive director, Tasi Young believes the current administration inherited the financial issues from AISU's original investors.

"The problems we saw today were a result of our school being collateralized for a side venture," Young said.

The financial woes are so deep, the board could not find a legitimate solution to help the school pay its bills in the future. Students and their families, along with AISU's staff are feeling the pain of those financial mistakes.

"I don't know. I truthfully, do not know," answered Jamie Adamson, a parent of two AISU students, when asked what her family will do next.

The school says it plans to help students and staff find other opportunities for the next school year.

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MURRAY, Utah - The American International School of Utah will permanently close at the conclusion of this school year. The school's board of directors voted unanimously to shut down by August 15, 2019. A handful of parents and students attended Wednesday's meeting when the decision was made.

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The bullying started when he was in fifth grade.

The boys in his class would tease him and call him a "little b---h." By middle school, they were sharing pictures of him on Snapchat. One altered image had his face joined to the body of an orangutan.

When he asked them to stop, they didn't. And when he reported it to school administrators, the taunting got worse.

That's when Amie Gallo decided to take her son out of their neighborhood school, she said, and transfer him to the American International School of Utah, a nearby charter in Murray.

"He found a really good place there," she said. "He's been doing a lot better."

Next year, though, her 14-year-old won't be able to go there any more. Facing potentially millions of dollars of debt, the school's board of directors voted unanimously to close AISU by the end of August. And the more than 1,300 students there will be pushed out into surrounding public schools and the few charters with space.

For Gallo's son, that likely means he'll be going back for ninth grade at the same school where he was bullied.

"We don't really have another option," Gallo said, noting there aren't other schools close to where they live. "I think AISU has been a sanctuary for a lot of kids. So I had hoped that there would be some sort of resolution and they would stay open."

But the board - facing pressure from the state after it was put on "warning status" late last year - said before its decision Wednesday night that it simply cannot pay back the funds it owes. In fact, it's not even clear just yet how deep that debt goes.

The issues began almost as soon as the school was founded five years ago. Its executive director set up the charter as a unique public-private hybrid with students in kindergarten through 12th grade - free for Utah kids but requiring international attendees to pay tuition. The idea was to teach students about different cultures and provide a level of diversity not seen anywhere else in the state.

In the first three years, said current school spokesman Jordan King, funds were mismanaged. The for-profit part of the charter invested in stock overseas and spent millions on flashy incentives for students, such as visits from Broadway singers and trips to Carnegie Hall in New York. Then the director stepped down.

"It got messy," King said. "We were just kind of collateral damage."

A state audit completed in March ordered the school to pay back $514,900 in special education funds that it either misspent or didn't document. In 2017, the Utah Board of Education found that the charter had spent more than $125,900 it couldn't account for.

According to its own budgeting, its liabilities also potentially include $5 million owed to investors and $1.5 million for violating the terms of its charter. One option for the school was to continue operating without its international program. That, however, would have meant an untenable $1 million loss over the next year, King added.

AISU has appealed some of those costs. And it has worked over the last two years to correct its course. This year was the first time it was operating in the black. It just didn't recover fast enough.

So, as several trustees cried and a few hid their faces behind tissues, they voted to close the school in an agreement approved by the state Charter School Board. The board will help the charter repay its debts using state funds.

Gallo found out about the pending closure a few weeks ago. Her three kids, including her oldest son who had been bullied, attended AISU for the last year. Now, they have a month left before their last day on June 7.

She's mad that she didn't know sooner. But mostly, Gallo wishes the current staff wasn't paying for mistakes made in the past. "They actually care about their students," she said. "It wasn't just putting a Band-Aid on everything they were struggling with."

Along with the kids, about 150 full-time and 20 part-time teachers will be displaced. As for the students, roughly 40 percent come from economically disadvantaged homes. Nearly a quarter are minorities. One in ten had a disability. Many, like Gallo's son, saw the place as a haven for those from all sorts of backgrounds.

Waiting in her family's sedan in the carpool lane Thursday morning, spunky 7-year-old Mila Matsuura listed her favorite things about the school: Her friends, the nature walks the students take at a nearby park and her sparkly binder.

"Oh, and I like the Spanish teacher," she declared.

Her mom, sitting in the front seat outside AISU, said the best part is the attention her daughter gets - something she said Mila didn't have at their crowded neighborhood elementary school, where she fell behind and was told she had to redo the first grade.

"We got a second chance here," Matsuura added. "We were looking for consistency and stability. But now we'll be starting over again."

"They better not close on me," Mila said.

Inside the school Thursday, students carried on as normal while outside parents stopped to talk to each other about what would happen next.

"My youngest one has done really well here," said mom Shala Smith.

"We're very sad," noted dad Ruslan Stepanenko. "This place made the students feel at home."

The building, which is tucked next to the freeway, was previously the Utah Fun Dome. It was the Salt Lake Valley College temporarily after that, and at one time, it served as a hotel. Now, with AISU leaving, it will again be something else. The dragon mascot on the walls will be painted over and the signs touting "AISU pride" will come down.

"It's a difficult decision to come to," noted Kent Burggraaf, chair of AISU's board of directors, during Wednesday's vote. "It has not been reached without great thought and great effort."

But the charter's features - its teachers, its different approach to class, the flexibility for students to work at their own pace - made it a good fit for those who struggled in traditional schools, many suggested.

"My daughter has been crying a lot," said Natasha Robison about her fourth grader. "She says, 'This is the only school I've ever made friends at. These are the only teachers that like me.'"

Robison's daughter attended Heartland Elementary School before transferring to AISU last year. Now, like Gallo's son, she'll likely go back there as the charter closes its doors.

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A Utah charter school - with potentially millions of dollars in debt - will close. Here's what led to that decision.

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The bullying started when he was in fifth grade. The boys in his class would tease him and call him a "little b---h." By middle school, they were sharing pictures of him on Snapchat. One altered image had his face joined to the body of an orangutan.

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MURRAY, Utah - A charter school faces an uncertain future because of serious financial issues and the school's board decided Wednesday to hold off on making a decision of whether or not to close the school and when that could happen.

The American International School of Utah is running out of money and according to AISU's director, the school is unable to provide documentation for about $500,000 of public funding it received when the school first opened.

"Our history is a history of liabilities that is starting to come back," said Tasi Young, the school's director. "If we don't have the documentation when they ask, they ask for that money back."

The unexpected bill means the school may not be able to fulfill its financial obligations going forward.

Wednesday, parents, students and teachers packed into the school's auditorium for a school board meeting where the fate of the school was set to be decided.

"We will fight and see what we can do," said Erin Phoenix, a mother of an AISU student. "We're shocked. We're sad. We don't want to leave."

A teacher believes students will suffer if the school is forced to close.

"What we do here is not available elsewhere in the valley," said Jessica Benson who teaches Grades 1-3. "It's a huge loss for the state of Utah."

The five-member voting board decided the school will remain open through the end of this school year.

The prospect of the school keeping its doors open beyond June 2019 does not look promising.

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AISU charter school may have to close its doors

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MURRAY, Utah - A charter school faces an uncertain future because of serious financial issues and the school's board decided Wednesday to hold off on making a decision of whether or not to close the school and when that could happen.

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Sophomore Jose Vazquez recently returned from a school trip to Amsterdam, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich and other places in Germany and Austria, where he practiced speaking German.

Jose was able to go on the trip partially because he is a good student: he carries a 4.0 GPA, first in his class.

He is an active member of the school's Hope Squad, soccer team, DECA, athletic council and helped bring debate to his school.

In the fall, he planned to be junior class secretary - that was, until his school, AISU, announced it would close its doors in June.

"I've had so many emotions," Jose said. "I was excited for my future here. I had so much ambition and goals and then, the news came all of a sudden. I'm sad about leaving. I did cry a bit."

While many students, families and faculty knew the Utah State Charter School Board put AISU, or American International School of Utah, on warning status in December 2018, as it was posted at the school, they also were told it was not a penultimate step toward school closure.

It stated in the posted Jan. 23 memo by AISU Executive Director Tasi Young, "We fully believe we will be able to work with them and meet all of the goals they have required as part of warning status."

The memo also dispelled the rumors that "AISU is not $1.1 million in debt, and its current financial obligations are part of a larger financial long-term plan that the Board of Directors is governing closely."

However, the school's board of directors voted unanimously May 8 to close the kindergarten through 12th-grade public charter school, acknowledging growing concerns about its financial viability.

The decision impacted about 1,300 students, including scores of international students and more than 170 employees.

Humanities teacher Khristian Owens said it was hard to accept the news and still harder for faculty to find a teaching position at the end of a school year when many area openings have already been filled.

"This has been our home and for kids, some who have been at a couple of schools, it's a big blow," she said. "We're a school like no other. We don't have cliques; we support each other."

Some faculty, who wish to remain anonymous, pointed out the financial situation was the result of former leaders, not the current administration and there are teachers who are being impacted who weren't at the school when AISU first started.

Parent-Teacher Organization Secretary Natalee Lance said the school closure news was "very heart-breaking."

"My sister told me about this school and it's been a perfect fit for my kids," she said. "It's given them more opportunities, more freedom to learn. It's an inclusive school, with very little bullying."

While making arrangements for her children to attend schools in Granite School District, she admits being a "little worried, especially for my youngest who is a little autistic."

"Here, teachers work with students to have them thrive, from my shyest becoming student body president to helping each learn the best way they can," she said.

Graduates Brittany and Brendon Cox returned to AISU to walk around one last time and to pick up another copy of their respective yearbooks. Brittany was in the first graduating class in 2015, her brother followed two years later.

"The school was always trying to help students improve," Brittany said. "AISU had a good, safe atmosphere where faculty were willing to listen, adapt and work with you to help you learn."

The faculty is something Jose said he will miss when he attends Taylorsville High in the fall.

"I have so many memories and so many teachers have made a positive impact on me," he said. "I'm one of 25 students across the country of the 2,500 who applied to be a member of the Harvard Youth Advisory Board, and that is because I learned about this opportunity from (humanities teacher) McKinlee (Covey). She and my art teacher, Trevor Huish, who is the Hope Squad adviser, have had such positive influences on me. She has helped me be a better writer and has taught me German and also she has taught me to see different perspectives. Trevor has the biggest heart and is the nicest person I know and is incredibly funny."

On the school's second to last day, it wasn't just cleaning desks and clearing out of the school that once was the 49th Street Galleria and the Utah Fun Dome. Instead outside there was a huge carnival hosted by the school's PTO and inside, there was the Celebration of Learning, where students showcased what they learned during their intensive classes.

These intensives ranged from learning Japanese culture and language to photographing and making a statement about the homeless. Students learned songwriting, created artwork, demonstrated knitting skills that tied into history, programmed robots and even made a pinball machine in a manufacturing class.

Sixth-grader Gracie Tebben, who plans to attend Bonneville Junior High in the fall, said she performed songs from musicals as part of her intensive course.

Her classmate, Justin Conder, said that intensives was one thing he will miss by not attending AISU.

"Basically, it's a break from the trimester which allows us to do activities and learn about other subject matter that may be fun or not regularly offered," he said, adding that he learned some Chinese language skills.

Student body sophomore class representative Arissa Cooper enrolled in the AISU Legacy intensive course, where she and her classmates decided to cut 990 four-inch by four-inch wood pieces, which they screened a print of the school logo before painting them. After students shared a special memory, they could take the squares with them.

"We wanted everyone to have a memory of the school, so we remain connected even when we leave," she said. "I'm a little nervous to go to Bingham High, but AISU has helped me come out of my shell and given me confidence."

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Students express appreciation as AISU charter school closes | Murray Journal

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Sophomore Jose Vazquez recently returned from a school trip to Amsterdam, Vienna, Salzburg, Munich and other places in Germany and Austria, where he practiced speaking German. Jose was able to go on the trip partially because he is a good student: he carries a 4.0 GPA, first in his class.

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This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

MURRAY - The board of directors of American International School of Utah voted unanimously Wednesday to postpone a decision on the future of the K-12 charter school that serves 1,300 students amid growing concerns about its financial viability.

At a minimum, the school will remain open until the end of this school year.

On March 28, Utah State Board of Education staff notified the school it must repay $514,905 in state and federal special education funds deemed unallowable expenditures.

The letter states that the state's review was used for "unsupported teacher salaries and benefits." The school has filed an appeal with the State School Board. Instead of depositing the school's funding monthly, the state is reimbursing the school for its expenses as it files required documentation. This is putting a strain on the school's finances, too, officials said.

But other financial liabilities that stem back to previous management of the school are also looming, said the school's executive director Tasi Young, who has led the school for this academic year.

In an interview prior to the board meeting, Young explained why the school is facing closure.

"We are here right now because the state has finally caught up with the potential liabilities of past management, the lack of adherence to funding restrictions from past management and a couple of agreements that are important to our current financial model," Young said.

"The state is looking at that and questioning it in a way that they cannot guarantee that we will make it through a compliance audit over the next 12 months. They cannot guarantee they will allow us to stay open and we cannot guarantee the state we can financially stay open with all those penalties and paybacks."
We are here right now because the state has finally caught up with the potential liabilities of past management ...
-Tasi Young, American International School of Utah

As staff has uncovered questionable financial issues, it has referred the information to the Utah Attorney General's Office for its review to determine if any of the issues rise to criminal conduct or civil violations.

Some board members urged a delay to allow time to study other options such closing at the end of the 2020 academic year or possibly finding a third party to operate the school.

"Let's snuggle and put a proposal together and then see. Let's call everyone we know and then see," said Mindy Young.

Tasi Young said whatever the school does, its current financial issues have created an atmosphere of uncertainty at the school.

The board of directors of American International School of Utah votes unanimously Wednesday, May 1, 2019 to postpone a decision on the future of the K-12 charter school. Photo: Tanner Siegworth, KSL TV

If the school stayed open for another year, it likely would not be with the same faculty.

"If they get a job offer, I can't tell them 'just stay with me one more year,'" he said.

The uncertainty will also mean some parents will opt to send their children to school elsewhere, which will affect the school's funding, said board chairman Kent Burggraaf.

The school is currently on "warning" status with the State Charter School Board. The State Board of Education is scheduled to hear a report on the issue of repayment of special education funds during its meeting Thursday.

Earlier, the State School Board's internal auditor performed a review that warned the school's disbursement policies and procedures left the school at "significantly increased risk of fraud, waste, and abuse of public education funds. Increased risk of liability to the LEA (local education agency), which could have far-reaching impact on operations and students."
This is the place nobodies have come and they've become some bodies.
-Lillie Clark, 8th grader

Top state education officials, including State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson, State Deputy Superintendent Scott Jones of Operations, and Jennifer Lambert, executive director of the Utah State Charter School Board, attended the meeting.

Earlier in the day during a public hearing, parents questioned why they were just notified of the school's financial difficulties. Some even said they could find investors who could help the school through its difficulties.

Students urged school officials to find ways to keep the school open because they have struggled in traditional school. Many students said they were bullied at their previous schools and found acceptance at AISU.

"This is the place nobodies have come and they've become some bodies," said eighth grader Lillie Clark.

Trevor Huish, a visual arts teacher who has been at the school since its start, said the faculty is "here for your kids."

Teaching at the school has been "the highest privilege of my life and I appreciate it so much," he said.

Photos

Related Stories

Marjorie Cortez

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American International School of Utah board postpones decision on the school's future

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This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

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UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION and UTAH STATE CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD,
Plaintiffs,
vs.

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UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION and UTAH STATE CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD,
Plaintiffs,
vs.

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UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION and UTAH STATE CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD,
Plaintiffs,
vs.

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On this week's "Trib Talk," Tribune education reporter Courtney Tanner and Royce Van Tassell, executive director of the Utah Association of Public Charter Schools, join reporter Benjamin Wood to discuss the conditions that led to AISU's closure and the fallout from its financial mismanagement.

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'Trib Talk': A recently closed charter school leaves unpaid debts and unanswered questions in its wake

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The recent closure of the American International School of Utah - a public-private hybrid charter - has displaced more than 1,300 students and left potentially millions of dollars in unpaid debts, including hundreds of thousands of allegedly misspent special education dollars owed to, but unlikely to be repaid to, the state of Utah.

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A few words, for what it's worth:

After listening to the audio of Tuesday's board meeting, is anyone else sobbing uncontrollably? Because I am. I think by now most people have found a way to move on with their lives and I'm glad. I, however, continue to struggle. I may not possess the ability to let go of "the dream." 

I'm just not sure how to come to terms with what I can only describe as a direct assault by the state agencies on the private citizens of Utah. I am disgusted by this unsolicited glimpse into how these state "boards" operate. Finally, I am flabbergasted at how blatantly they prioritize the desires of big corporations over the needs of Utahns.

They truly DO NOT CARE about any one of us. They care about money, and sadly that notion is what they are modeling for our children, the victims of this tragedy. 

I am so intensely grateful to have been a part of this outstanding community. THANK YOU, to each and every one of you that made AISU such a special place. You gave me one of the best years of my life, and I hope I can remain connected to all of you that made my experience so extraordinary. 

Similarly, I feel honored and extremely lucky to have had the chance to work for Tasi Young. Having worked for Fortune 500 companies and small business alike,  I thought I had experienced working for every type of boss- until I found AISU. 

Tasi is not a "boss"-he is a LEADER. He is what every director should ASPIRE to be. He accepted the position of Executive Director knowing the challenges that were before him, but nevertheless he jumped in with both feet, determined to correct the wrongdoings of past administration and put AISU back on the right track. 

He was everything past admin had not been, most notably: transparent. Because Tasi is a man of genuine character, his honest nature demanded that he be transparent in all dealings, and sadly that seems to be a rare thing in today's world. His ongoing battle to rectify AISU's mistakes barely scratches the surface of how this man was a champion to all of us at AISU. 

Every single morning he met our students at the front doors of our school to greet them upon arrival. For more than half of the year he did his job in addition to several other jobs, including that of Elementary Director. He perpetually strived to bring our community together and he worked toward achieving objectives that were important to his staff.

Tasi always strived to do what was in the best interest of his community of parents, staff and students. He modeled collaboration and mediation as a proactive solution to any issue. Tasi LISTENED to EVERYONE, he utilized his resources to elevate those around him, he worked tirelessly and under immense pressure, and he never ONCE complained... 

Tasi inspired greatness at every level. And, when it became clear that we were aboard a sinking ship, HE DID NOT GIVE UP ON US. We are so lucky to have had Tasi captain our (albeit sinking) ship. If it were not for Tasi, the faculty and staff probably would not have received their salaries through the end of the contractual agreement. RIGHT UP UNTIL THE VERY END, he had OUR backs and he fought on OUR behalf. 

His removal from the position of Executive Director is just one more slap in the face from the state school boards, a resounding message that WE THE PEOPLE mean NOTHING to them. USCB and USBE have elected to continue with ethically questionable business practices by replacing Tasi with the state auditor. A blatant conflict of interest, and yet another attempt to cover their tracks and conceal their own transgressions from the public so this ordeal remains the fault of AISU in the public eye. 

Makes me ashamed to live in this state and see all of this happen, with little push back from the media and public outside of our community. I am rendered feeling powerless, and I was under the impression that this country was a democracy. Feels more totalitarian to me. 

So yes, we owe Tasi, Mindy Young and the other board members a debt of gratitude, because as bad as the last two months have been, it might have been even worse, if not for our outstanding representation. 

I am so grateful to know these inspiring individuals, and I would follow Tasi and Mindy anywhere. I wish I could follow them now, or that there was some way to "move on" with our community- my esteemed colleagues, my students and their families- in tact. Perhaps then my broken heart would finally start to mend. 

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My beloved student Max, along with his father, featured in the paper.

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A new task force will scrutinize Utah charter schools and their spending. Is it necessary? - The Salt Lake Tribune

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Questioning whether Utah charter schools lack oversight, the state Board of Education voted Thursday to create a task force that would examine the financial accountability of those institutions and better regulate how taxpayer money is spent by administrators.

"We need to clean it up," said Mark Huntsman, chairman of the state board. "We have some problems."

But the move also is somewhat of a rebuke of the Utah State Charter School Board, which is supposed to provide oversight. The vote to form the task force - as well as the conversation during the regular Board of Education meeting Thursday - seemed to suggest that members don't feel the state charter board is doing a good job of that.

The state charter board, for instance, didn't censure AISU until December - five years into its operation.

"There have been some questions come up over a school closing with some real financial issues," said Janet Cannon, vice chairwoman of the state Board of Education's audit committee, which recommended the task force. "This would help alleviate anything like that happening again."

Board member Carol Lear added: "I'm a little disappointed this idea didn't come from the charter board."

Who will serve on the task force and what exactly it will investigate is still somewhat undecided. But the main purpose is to examine how charter schools in the state can restructure their finances - including how they use restricted funds, such as the special education dollars AISU misused - and improve transparency and accountability in the face of "systemic risks."

Part of this comes, too, after the state auditor's office asked that all charters move to the same accounting system that public school districts use by fiscal 2021. Right now, there is no set or uniform system for charters.

Jennifer Lambert, executive director of the state charter board, said she hasn't had much time to think about what the task force will mean for her organization.

"I'm still kind of digesting all of this," she said after the vote. "But we would be happy to participate in it."

The charter board is a subsidiary panel to the Utah Board of Education that oversees charter schools. It is an unelected group whose members are appointed by the governor and, unlike the state Board of Education, it has no power listed under the state constitution.

The two boards have squabbled for years over who can regulate and control charters, including how to manage their money and potential closures. But the primary question asked by members of the Utah Board of Education is: Why did no one step in sooner to help AISU?

"The benefit of having a task force is you have more stakeholders to make a really strong recommendation about what a proposed betterment would look like," Huntsman said.

The issues with AISU, which officially closes Aug. 15, began almost as soon as the school was founded five years ago. Its executive director set up the charter as a unique public-private hybrid with students in kindergarten through 12th grade - free for Utah kids but requiring international attendees to pay tuition.

In the first three years, funds were severely mismanaged, according to the school's previous spokesman. Now, most of the money it owes will likely not be paid back.

It also struggled to gain its footing academically. Last year, the state said it was below average in its test scores and graduation rates. Before that, in 2017, the charter received an F grade.

Both the founder, who later was removed from his post, and the succeeding director said they never received support from the state - either the state charter board or the Utah Board of Education - on what to do.

"They denied us resources," said Tasi Young, the last director before the school closed. "They denied us help."

Charter schools were meant to be education's disrupters. But Utah Board of Education member Linda Hansen said when they were set up, there was little specified in state code on how they should operate.

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A new task force will scrutinize Utah charter schools and their spending. Is it necessary?

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Questioning whether Utah charter schools lack oversight, the state Board of Education voted Thursday to create a task force that would examine the financial accountability of those institutions and better regulate how taxpayer money is spent by administrators. "We need to clean it up," said Mark Huntsman, chairman of the state board.

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Things that Should Have Been Called in to Question Ages Ago 

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Things that Should Have Been Called in to Question Ages Ago 

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@tribtalk @CourtneyLTanner @mrmrvt @BjaminWood @AISUtah @sltrib #utpol The Utah Charter School Association receives $6 for every student enrolled in a charter school roughly. The exec. dir @mrmrvt makes $136K / yr in 2016. If have keeps on getting 18% raises, he prob. makes over 160K / year now.

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@tribtalk @CourtneyLTanner @mrmrvt @BjaminWood @AISUtah @sltrib #utpol The Utah Charter School Association receives $6 for every student enrolled in a charter school roughly. The exec. dir @mrmrvt makes $136K / yr in 2016. If have keeps on getting 18% raises, he prob. makes over 160K / year now. https://t.co/NBxtk9hfUI

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**New Episode** @CourtneyLTanner & @mrmrvt join @BjaminWood to discuss the closure and financial mismanagement of @AISUtah.

‘Trib Talk’: A recently closed charter school leaves unpaid debts and unanswered questions in its wake, via @sltrib #uted #utpol  https://t.co/1fmNxxHXVe https://t.co/44O0ectSpJ

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Don’t miss what’s happening

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#utpol The Utah Charter School Association receives $6 for every student enrolled in a charter school roughly. The exec. dir @mrmrvt makes $136K / yr in 2016. If have keeps on getting 18% raises, he prob. makes over 160K / year now. pic.twitter.com/NBxtk9hfUI
— Qualified Charters (@quietstreetsnow) July 31, 2019

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@tribtalk @CourtneyLTanner @mrmrvt @BjaminWood @AISUtah @sltrib #utpol The Utah Charter School Association receives $6 for every student enrolled in a charter school roughly. The exec. dir @mrmrvt makes $136K / yr in 2016. If have keeps on getting 18% raises, he prob. makes over 160K / year now. https://t.co/NBxtk9hfUI

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**New Episode** @CourtneyLTanner & @mrmrvt join @BjaminWood to discuss the closure and financial mismanagement of @AISUtah.

‘Trib Talk’: A recently closed charter school leaves unpaid debts and unanswered questions in its wake, via @sltrib #uted #utpol  https://t.co/1fmNxxHXVe https://t.co/44O0ectSpJ

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@tribtalk @CourtneyLTanner @mrmrvt @BjaminWood @AISUtah @sltrib #utpol The Utah Charter School Association receives $6 for every student enrolled in a charter school roughly. The exec. dir @mrmrvt makes $136K / yr in 2016. If have keeps on getting 18% raises, he prob. makes over 160K / year now. https://t.co/NBxtk9hfUI

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@tribtalk @CourtneyLTanner @mrmrvt @BjaminWood @AISUtah @sltrib #utpol The Utah Charter School Association receives $6 for every student enrolled in a charter school roughly. The exec. dir @mrmrvt makes $136K / yr in 2016. If have keeps on getting 18% raises, he prob. makes over 160K / year now.

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**New Episode** @CourtneyLTanner & @mrmrvt join @BjaminWood to discuss the closure and financial mismanagement of @AISUtah.

‘Trib Talk’: A recently closed charter school leaves unpaid debts and unanswered questions in its wake, via @sltrib #uted #utpol  https://t.co/1fmNxxHXVe https://t.co/44O0ectSpJ

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents.

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. https://t.co/SKs0JQ4XeN

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. pic.twitter.com/SKs0JQ4XeN
— Brian Mullahy (@bmullahy2news) September 12, 2019

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. https://t.co/SKs0JQ4XeN

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. https://t.co/SKs0JQ4XeN

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents.

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Ideas to give State Charter School Board more power to govern charter schools, in wake of #AISU demise.

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Ideas to give State Charter School Board more power to govern charter schools, in wake of #AISU demise. https://t.co/0uIm5w6oVq

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Ideas to give State Charter School Board more power to govern charter schools, in wake of #AISU demise. pic.twitter.com/0uIm5w6oVq
— Brian Mullahy (@bmullahy2news) September 12, 2019

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Ideas to give State Charter School Board more power to govern charter schools, in wake of #AISU demise. https://t.co/0uIm5w6oVq

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Ideas to give State Charter School Board more power to govern charter schools, in wake of #AISU demise. https://t.co/0uIm5w6oVq

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Ideas to give State Charter School Board more power to govern charter schools, in wake of #AISU demise.

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"The school’s closure was “a tragedy” because it didn’t shutter because of academic performance. Students and faculty thrived at AISU," Sen. Howard Stephenson told the Utah Legislature’s Education...

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“KUTV clearly seems more interested in serving itself to viewers instead of serving the greater community to better schools,” writes one AISU teacher
https://t.co/N4ew9c96cS

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“KUTV clearly seems more interested in serving itself to viewers instead of serving the greater community to better schools,” writes one AISU teacher
https://t.co/N4ew9c96cS

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“KUTV clearly seems more interested in serving itself to viewers instead of serving the greater community to better schools,” writes one AISU teacherhttps://t.co/N4ew9c96cS
— The Salt Lake Tribune (@sltrib) February 13, 2019

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“KUTV clearly seems more interested in serving itself to viewers instead of serving the greater community to better schools,” writes one AISU teacher
https://t.co/N4ew9c96cS

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“KUTV clearly seems more interested in serving itself to viewers instead of serving the greater community to better schools,” writes one AISU teacher
https://t.co/N4ew9c96cS

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“KUTV clearly seems more interested in serving itself to viewers instead of serving the greater community to better schools,” writes one AISU teacher
https://t.co/N4ew9c96cS

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents.

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. https://t.co/SKs0JQ4XeN

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Don’t miss what’s happening

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. pic.twitter.com/SKs0JQ4XeN
— Brian Mullahy (@bmullahy2news) September 12, 2019

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. https://t.co/SKs0JQ4XeN

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents. https://t.co/SKs0JQ4XeN

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Jessica Benson, teacher, and parent of #AISU student, says defunct school was “extraordinary,” with “awesome” students and parents.

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Parent, former teacher at defunct AISU charter school still 'hurting' after its demise | KJZZ

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Parent, former teacher at defunct AISU charter school still 'hurting' after its demise

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It’s a new school year, but there’s still grief over the closing of the troubled American International School of Utah. KUTV. “I feel devastated by the loss of everything we have worked toward,“ said Jessica Benson, mother of an AISU student, and former teacher at the school. “We’re all still very much hurting.