A voucher-funded Milwaukee school that had gotten more than $2 million in taxpayer money disappeared “in the dead of the night” last month, its former landlord said this week.

According to The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, state officials confirmed that LifeSkills Academy had already received over $200,000 as a part of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program this year before vacating the premises around Dec. 12.

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“They moved out, as people say, in the dead of the night,” All Saints Catholic Church’s Father Carl Diederichs explained to the paper. LifeSkills had rented a building owned by the church.

Department of Public Instruction (DPI) documents obtained by The Journal-Sentinel indicated that LifeSkills had been paid $202,278 in taxpayer money this year and $202,278 in voucher payments for the 2012-2013 school year. Since joining the voucher program in 2008, the school had received over $2 million in payments.

But during the last full school year, only one of LifeSkill’s students managed to score as proficient in reading and math.

The motto advertised on LifeSkills’ now-shuttered website is “1 Awesome God / 2 Great Schools.”

“We pledge, To lead students into a genuine relationship with Christ while providing an excellent academic program,” the website said. “To this, we will strive to continue…”

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After a series of confusing email messages in December, the school told DPI that it would be closing due to a “loss of funding.” However, DPI informed LifeSkills in a letter that no decision had been made to withhold funds.

By Dec. 12, Father Diederichs notified DPI that the LifeSkills building had been vacated.

The Journal-Sentinel pointed out that there was no legal way for DPI to recoup the voucher funds paid to LifeSkills.

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[A classroom. Photo: Shutterstock.com.]