Horizon Science Academy attempts to sue State of Ohio for loss of educational grant money #Gulen #MoneyFraud #SalimUcan #ConceptSchools

Horizon Science Academy sues Ohio for loss of educational grants from Gulen Cemaat

By Emily Bamforth, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A dozen Horizon Science Academies, part of a series of charter schools in Ohio, are suing over denied Ohio Department of Education grant money, claiming the rules for the grant were changed after the application process. Three Horizon Science Academy Schools are in the Northeast Ohio area, including the Horizon Science Academy of Lorain and Horizon Science Academy Cleveland Middle and High schools. Twelve schools throughout the state are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which names the Ohio Department of Education, Gov. Mike DeWine, the state school superintendent and the director of community schools as respondents. Read the full lawsuit in the document viewer at the bottom of this post. Mobile viewers, click here. The lawsuit, filed in the Ohio Supreme Court, refers to the “Quality Community Schools Support Grant” created through House Bill 166, a state budget bill. Community schools are commonly referred to as charter schools, which are operated as public schools but not controlled by a school district. Horizon Science Academies are open admission. If applications exceed the number of spots, students are chosen through a lottery. Under the grant, qualified charter schools are eligible to receive up to $1,750 each fiscal year for each pupil identified as economically disadvantaged and up to $1,000 each fiscal year for all other students, according to the Ohio Department of Education website. Horizon Science Academies officials applied for the grant, believing the schools met criteria. But, according to the lawsuit, the application was denied because of an additional restriction allegedly not part of the state bill or the application form. The independent school boards running Horizon Science Academies contract with Illinois-based Concept Schools NFP. The lawsuit claims funding was denied because Concept is not registered with the state of Ohio as a foreign corporation. An attached letter in the lawsuit from Office of Community Schools Director Karl Koenig describing the denial reads: “Specifically, Concept Schools NFP is not registered as a foreign corporation with the Ohio Secretary of State’s office and, therefore, is not in good standing in Ohio.” Horizon officials claim that information was not stated as a requirement on the application form and when the schools followed up with the state on the application, that issue did not come up as a concern. Horizon also claims that Concept is registered with the state already. The schools are asking that the state approve the grant applications. Ohio Department of Education officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. The Ohio Department of Education also rejected other schools, including the for-profit Accel Schools chain, because of issues with corporate registrations. In Accel’s case, some schools that failed to meet academic criteria may have qualified for money because other Accel-run schools received a federal grant, according to previous Plain Dealer reporting. The state claimed that the company’s registration did not link operations in Ohio to other Accel-run schools. Some other Concept-run schools qualified for the money by meeting academic criteria. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/06/dozen-ohio-horizon-science-academies-sue-ohio-department-of-education-over-denied-grant-funding.html A dozen charter schools, Horizon Science Academies, including the Horizon Science Academy of Youngstown, are suing the Ohio Department of Education over denied grant money, claiming the rules for the grant were changed after the application process. The funds were to be awarded as part of a two-year Quality Community Schools Support Grant (QSF) which recognizes schools that provide quality education to underserved populations. According to the release from Horizon Science Academies, the lawsuit comes as a last-resort effort after the ODE refused to reconsider its improper decision. The twelve schools are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which names the Ohio Department of Education, Gov. Mike DeWine, the state school superintendent and the director of community schools as respondents. Horizon Science's press release said the lack of funding is negatively affecting nearly 4,500 students of the academy. On average, 83 percent of Horizon Science's students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Tim Clements, an attorney with Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper, said that the Horizon schools met all the criteria of the grant as it was originally intentioned. "The new criterion retroactively used by the ODE, after the HSAs had already applied for the QSF, was not in HB 166 which the Ohio legislature passed when creating the funding," said Clements. "That's why we're claiming that the ODE exceeded its authority under Ohio law when it inappropriately used an undisclosed requirement for HSA's operator to be registered with Ohio's secretary of state to justify denying funding to these 12 schools." The schools’ lawsuit points out that the requirement was never intended by Ohio’s legislature and has nothing to do with the quality education that the HSAs provide to their students. Ohio Department of Education officials has not publicly commented on the lawsuit. https://www.wfmj.com/story/42255343/horizon-science-academy-of-youngstown-suing-ohio-department-of-education

Gulen’s Turkish Charter schools. The CIA sponsored imam and his troublin...

Gulen’s Turkish Charter schools

Gulen’s Turkish Charter schools: The CIA sponsored imam and his troubling US agenda

Buckeye Hope Community Foundation dba Concept Schools HORIZON SCIENCE ACADEMY financial transparency

The main sponsor of Concept Schools dba Horizon Science Academy is Buckeye Hope Community Foundation.  There has been countless requests by the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding www.ohiocoalition.org Asking for transparency of finances.   Buckeye Hope Community Foundation which receives public money for housing and charter schools is under the impression they don't fall under transparency laws.  
Lets hope out the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding,  Below the last 990 tax returns filed by Buckeye Hope Community Foundation, 2015.  Review the salaries of the board members and note that Margeret Young who handles "School Services" has a listed salary in excess of $200K a year. 
Why the cloak of darkness? Shame on Buckeye Community Hope Foundation stealing from the most vulnerable of society and not being accountable to tax payers.   

Public has a right to know – except in charter school business

To the editor:

On June 8, the Columbus Dispatch published a column by Denis Smith, a former consultant in the Ohio Department of Education's charter school office, about the Ohio Public Records Law and a May 2 request sent to two charter school sponsors by Ohio E&A and the state education agency for records pertaining to the Gulen charter school chain operating in Ohio. 

After five weeks, there has been no response from ODE and one of the sponsors, the ESC of Lake Erie West. 

The second sponsor, the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, did reply on June 4 and said that it is "not a public entity subject to public records requests."

The state education agency of the State of Ohio ignores a request for public records dealing with publicly funded schools. 

A public school entity, an educational service center, ignores a request for public records dealing with publicly funded schools. 

A charter school sponsor, who receives millions in public funds, says it is a private, not public entity and does not have to comply with a public records request. 

All three were asked about information regarding the operation of 17 schools funded by the public.

What is wrong with this picture?

(• Note: Since the publication of the article, ESC of Lake Erie West submitted the information requested.)

Sincerely,
William L. Phillis
Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding
www.ohiocoalition.org

https://highlandcountypress.com/Content/Opinions/Opinion/Article/Public-has-a-right-to-know-except-in-charter-school-business/4/22/44776

Buckeye Community Hope Foundation dba Concept Schools from Gulen Cemaat

Gulen Charter School Horizon Science Academy Sex with Students

A former teacher at a charter school on Chicago's southwest side was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexually abusing a 16-year-old student, officials said.

Megan Kotarski, 28, is accused of having sexual contact with the boy between June 16 and 18 of this year, Chicago police told the Chicago Sun-Times.

The 28-year-old is charged with a felony count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim between 13 and 18 years old, and will appear in court for a bond hearing Wednesday.

Complete Story here 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/11/22/ex-illinois-charter-school-teacher-28-charged-in-sex-romp-with-teen-boy-student.html

Horizon Science Academy Gulen Charter School Sexual contact with Teacher

http://wgntv.com/2017/11/08/chicago-charter-school-teacher-accused-of-sexual-relationship-with-underage-student/

CHICAGO --  A criminal investigation by two separate agencies is underway after a female teacher was accused of having a sexual relationship with an underage male student.

The investigation centers on Horizon Science Academy Southwest, a Chicago Charter School at 54th and Western in the city's Gage Park community centered on STEM.

A school spokesman said administrators became aware of the allegations earlier this week and that the individual in question has been an instructor at the school since 2014 which is the same year Horizon opened with a kindergarten through 8th grade enrollment and has added one grade per year since eventually hoping to achieve a K-12 campus.

Dr. Christoper Murphy from Horizon issued a statement:

"Following allegations of gross misconduct by a staff member on Monday November 6, school administration began conducting an internal investigation.  As the allegations involved a minor, the school contacted the IL Department of Child and Family Services and Chicago police.  Pending the outcome of the investigation, the staff member has been placed on unpaid administrative leave."

Chicago police told the minor told his parents who then approached school officials.

The Department of Child and Family Services confirmed that an official inquiry by that agency is taking place. A spokesman could not elaborate.

"DCFS is investigating the case involving a teacher at Horizon Science Academy. The investigation is pending. No further details are available at this time."

Typically, investigations like this between teacher and student, among other aspects, try to identify any texting or emails as well as interviewing other teachers and staff.

If found guilty the teacher could face prison time and would have to register as a sex offender.

MARK HALL: FLYNN, MUELLER, KILLING ED 11/16/17 ALEX JONES INFOWARS