Washington's Largest Charter Chain Faces Audit Calls and a Funding Referral

Impact Public Schools, the largest charter school chain in Washington state, is facing scrutiny from state regulators and a legislator. The questions concern how it spent public money and how it serves some of its neediest students.

The state's charter school oversight agency said the chain improperly received roughly $790,000 in state funds after enrolling more than 60 four-year-olds in kindergarten. The agency has referred the matter to the State Auditor's Office, which will consider whether the money should be repaid.

State Rep. Gerry Pollet has separately called for both fraud and performance audits of the organization. His request follows a KUOW investigation that found few services for students who are learning English and a lack of support for students with disabilities.

Charter schools in Washington have more flexibility and freedom than other public schools. Supporters of the charter model, however, pledged that the schools would remain under strict oversight, including annual performance reviews. Staff and parents told KUOW that this accountability is lacking at Impact, and that the students affected most are among the most vulnerable.

The reporting is part of a series called Broken Promises, which examines the charter network. Impact grew into the state's largest chain by promising families an alternative to what it describes as "the factory model" of education. Under its pitch, every student would receive a personalized education plan.

One parent's account illustrates the concerns raised in the series. Art Wheeler's daughter and son were in their second year at Impact Puget Sound Elementary, a charter school in Tukwila, in the fall of 2019. Wheeler said their grades were high and their teachers gave glowing reports, telling him, "Your kids are standouts" and "They're a pleasure to have in class."

Then, two months into the school year, in November 2019, Wheeler said letters arrived from Impact saying his children were failing and might have to repeat the year, which had only just started. Wheeler was confused. "They messed up," he recalled thinking. "This is for somebody else's kids."

The referral to the State Auditor's Office and the call for audits put pressure on both the school chain and the oversight system meant to hold it to account. The outcome of the auditor's review of the $790,000 in funding had not been reported in the material available.