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Imhotep charter pays for overcharging Phila. district

The School District of Philadelphia and Imhotep Institute Charter High School said Wednesday that they had reached a settlement over allegations that the former charter administrators fraudulently billed the district for two special-education students.

The School District of Philadelphia and Imhotep Institute Charter High School said Wednesday that they had reached a settlement over allegations that the former charter administrators fraudulently billed the district for two special-education students.

Imhotep, which has replaced its board and brought in new management, denied any wrongdoing. The charter has agreed to repay the district nearly $16,100 for inaccurate invoices.

Investigators in the district's charter office and the city Inspector General's Office found evidence that the charter in East Germantown had billed the district for the entire 2013-14 academic year for a student who attended for only one semester.

They also determined that Imhotep had given auditors forged signatures for a student's legal guardian who had died.

As part of the agreement, Imhotep said it would submit a written policy to the district describing steps to ensure that attendance and enrollment data are submitted to the district accurately, and would train staffers who handle those records.

The School Reform Commission will be asked to approve the settlement Thursday.

While the sum that Imhotep has agreed to repay is modest, a district spokesman said, it demonstrates the efforts the district will take to ensure that billings are accurate.

"Our aim is to erase fraud and waste from the district, because our schools can't afford to lose any more money," said Amy L. Kurland, the city's inspector general.

martha.woodall@phillynews.com

215-854-2789 @marwooda