TEA appoints conservators to IDEA Public Schools
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The Texas Education Agency appointed two conservators to oversee IDEA Public Schools following the findings of a 2021 investigation into allegations of improper spending by the district.
The conservators will be overseeing IDEA across the entire state of Texas, not just the Rio Grande Valley.
In a statement, IDEA Public Schools said they have reached a settlement with the TEA and the U.S. Department of Education to resolve the issues.
TO READ THE FULL LETTER FROM THE TEA, CLICK HERE.
IDEA said as the district was rapidly growing and there was a "lacked parallel emphasis" on ensuring the funds being used were properly administered.
The district said they will be returning $28.7 million in grant and formula funding to the U.S. Department of Education through monthly installments.
IDEA has until Dec. 2026 to pay all the money back.
READ MORE: Texas places state’s largest charter school network under conservatorship
A TEA news release identified the conservators appointed to the charter school system as Christopher Ruszkowski and David Lee. Ruszkowski will serve as the lead conservator overseeing IDEA, and Lee will be in charge of improving finances.
IDEA is paying each conservator $125 per hour, plus travel expenses. The TEA says if the conservators aren't paid, money will be taken out of IDEA's foundation school program funds.
According to the release, some of the duties of the conservators includes "overseeing and directing any action of the district, oversee activities and directing the board to remove members in the event of misconduct and directing appointment of replacement board members and report findings that rise to the level of material violations of law or rule to the Commissioner of Education."
The TEA said the appointment of the conservators does not relieve the board of responsibility to operate IDEA Public Schools.
They said the cost of the conservators will be paid by the district. The fee for each conservator will be $125 per hour, plus necessary travel expenses.
Read the full statement from IDEA Public Schools below:
IDEA Public Schools Official Statement
IDEA is pleased to have reached a settlement agreement with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the U.S. Department of Education to resolve compliance issues our organization self-reported to regulators after an internal investigation in 2021. IDEA invited the additional oversight by the TEA when self-reporting the findings of the audit and looks forward to the continued partnership moving forward.
Before 2020, the priority at IDEA was rapid growth, but there lacked a parallel emphasis on ensuring that the funds fueling that growth were properly administered and documented as required by law. IDEA has since installed new board members and executive leadership, enlarged the staff responsible for grant management and compliance, and strengthened internal controls and auditing procedures.
In addition, IDEA is returning $28.7 million in grant and formula funding to the U.S. Department of Education via monthly installments through December 2026, and has already made three initial installments. These funds were reserved in a prior fiscal year to ensure repayment has a negligible impact on IDEA’s students and staff.
Despite the internal upheaval several years ago and a concurrent pandemic that disrupted learning for our students, IDEA continues to see academic progress fueled by a resilient and hardworking Team & Family. Reaching settlement agreements with the Department of Education and TEA closes a difficult chapter for IDEA so we can continue to notch wins for the students that have always been central to IDEA’s mission.
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