New Media charter school satisfies SRC conditions for operating charter

The New Media Technology Charter School in Northwest Philadelphia is finally getting its new operating charter.

It took more than a year, but with the departure of the acting board president Wednesday night, the troubled school has satisfied 23 conditions the School Reform Commission required to renew its operating charter.

The SRC acted after The Inquirer reported allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest involving the school's founders in the spring of 2009.

The school has a new seven-member board and a new chief executive officer, and has adopted a series of strict financial and ethics policies.

"The new board is focused on working for the best interests of the individuals they serve," Michael Frattone, a lawyer who represents New Media, said in a statement Friday. "Although it may take some time, they are eager to work through any ongoing issues as quickly as possible, and focus on providing a strong educational foundation for the students, administrators, and parents of New Media Technology Charter School."

The school, which opened in 2004, has 483 students in grades five through 12 on campuses in the Stenton and Germantown neighborhoods. The renewal allows the school to operate until June 30, 2014.

Even though New Media is getting a new charter, a federal criminal investigation is continuing, according to sources with knowledge of the probe.

District officials view the resolution of New Media's charter renewal a success story even though it took far longer than anticipated.

"We got all the things we wanted," said Benjamin W. Rayer, chief of the district's Charter, Partnership and New Schools Office.

In addition to replacing the board and top administrator, New Media severed all ties with founders Hugh C. Clark and Ina Walker. Clark is a former board chair; Walker is the school's former CEO.

The SRC initially called for New Media to make the changes last fall but later agreed to a new timetable with extended deadlines because the school was making a good-faith effort to ensure an orderly transition at a school that has met federal academic benchmarks.

June 30 was the deadline for several of the conditions, including replacing the acting board chair.

Carol Sandra Moore Wells, a federal magistrate who had been a New Media board member, became acting chair when Clark resigned Dec. 31. Wells stepped down Wednesday night, Frattone and the district said.

Wanda Bailey-Green, an administrator at Eastern University who has been involved with other charter schools, is now chairwoman of the board.

Walker left in December, as well, but held a consulting contract with New Media until Wednesday. Margret Kenney, a former CEO at West Oak Lane Charter School, served as interim CEO through June.

Donnamarie Parker, a seasoned charter administrator, is the new CEO.

The charter school is the third in the city the SRC has required to replace its board members and administrators. The former Raising Horizons Quest Charter School, which has campuses in West and Northeast Philadelphia, was forced to make such changes in 2006 after financial improprieties were uncovered. The SRC required an overhaul of Philadelphia Academy in the Northeast in 2008 after The Inquirer reported allegations of financial wrongdoing and conflicts of interest.

New Media is one of at least 18 area charter schools under federal investigation. Sources with knowledge of the probe said authorities are trying to determine whether taxpayer funds sent to New Media were used to pay some expenses of Lotus Academy, a private school in West Oak Lane, and the Black Olive, a vegetarian restaurant and a related health-food store in Mount Airy. All have ties to Walker and Clark.