Odyssey Charter School has been placed under formal review by the Delaware Department of Education.

For nearly a year, parents, teachers and community members have raised concerns to the department about the school’s governance and financial dealings. In a letter to Josiah Wolcott, president of Odyssey’s school board, Secretary of Education Susan Bunting outlined the case against the school, including what she called a history of conflicts of interest, misappropriated funds, equal rights violations and more.

The move comes after the department had requested the state auditor look into the school. The request is still pending.

The matter will now be investigated by the Charter School Accountability Committee, which will determine whether the school is violating the terms of its charter, and if so whether to order remedial measures. In total, the May 15 letter from Bunting outlined six violations.

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Most prominent in the letter is the influence the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association has had on the school. In 2006, the association helped form Odyssey Charter in hopes of creating a space for the area’s Greek-American community. The association loaned the school an initial $60,000.

Why the state stepped in

The association's members hold five of the nine school board positions, creating a conflict of interest with the fraternal organization, according to Bunting's letter.

The conflicts are detailed in each violation listed by Bunting; from the group’s control of the school board, influence in hiring decisions and policy of holding school-related meetings closed to women.

For example, the letter describes how the school board once discussed “finding a job” for a former board president. Said board president then had a hand in creating the school-related job description that he then applied for, and was put forward by the hiring committee as a top candidate. While he was not hired, the hiring committee was chosen by the Hellenic Association-controlled school board and contained two of the association's members.

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The school board president is chosen by the Hellenic association in a meeting that is closed to the public and also women, creating not only a conflict of interest, but a violation of equal rights laws on the basis of sex, said the letter.

The board also votes on matters involving the association, which creates a conflict of interest because of the organization’s majority rule, the letter stated.

In an interview with The News Journal, Wolcott said he doesn't think the association holding a majority of the board was necessarily a bad thing.

A letter from the school to the department said that the association's "majority is critical to maintain the mission and vision of the school and should not be changed," but that members should recuse themselves when necessary. The letter also suggested waiving quorum requirements on votes related to the association.

"Instead, it's about what that majority does," Wolcott said to the News Journal, noting that it's on those members to act in the best interest of the school, not the association. "What I always wanted was to avoid the appearance that a majority was lining the pockets of its own."

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The letter describes two incidents involving possible misappropriation of funds. Like Odyssey, the Ithaka Early Learning Center was created under the Hellenic Association's umbrella. To date, $108,000 of Odyssey money has gone to the early learning center. The school said the money was a loan, but a Public Integrity Commission investigation found no such documentation.

In addition, a gala held in February was meant to support Ithaka and Odyssey. Invoices were billed to Odyssey. The invitations came from the association and the two schools, with the association displayed first and most prominently.

The road ahead

For Michelle Hill, whose daughter is in third grade at Odyssey, news of the formal review wasn't a surprise. Over the past few months, the school has kept parents informed as events have unfolded. To her, the surprised reactions have primarily been from people outside of the school.

"We've been discussing this with the Department of Education for a couple of months now," Wolcott said. "We've given them our proposal, which we think maintains a lot of the things that make Odyssey great. Yes, there are some things that we can make better at this school, and we will do so."

On Monday, school leadership was unofficially informed of the decision to be placed under Formal Review. The school received the official notice and letter from Bunting on Thursday afternoon, Wolcott said.

“Even though this formal review is a part of our lives now, it does not mean closure,” he said during a board meeting on Wednesday.

The first public hearing about the formal review will be held June 11 in Dover. Bunting will review the Charter School Accountability Committee’s report and other related materials, then present her final decision to the State Board of Education on July 18. The board must agree with her decision.

The outcome of a formal review can be anywhere from no actions to the school being placed under probation to revocation of a school’s charter, said Alison May, spokesperson for the Delaware Department of Education. Revocation would be an extreme outcome, she said.

Since 2012, 10 Delaware charter schools have been placed under Formal Review. Of the 10, four had their charters revoked. Six were put on probation. Out of the six schools put on probation, three eventually closed on their own.

The board's goal is to keep doors open, Wolcott said. He hopes the school and the department will continue to work toward a resolution.

Hill said she has every intention of seeing her daughter graduate from Odyssey.

"I have absolutely no plans of looking for alternative education plans for my daughter next year," she said. "Those who made the poor decisions who put us in this situation should be held accountable, but I have faith that it will work out."

May could not answer whether the school would be shuttered by the fall should the charter be revoked, saying “that would be a decision made as part of the process.” However, should the school close, students would likely either attend their assigned feeder school or be able to choice into whatever schools have openings.

Are you an Odyssey parent or teacher who’d like to be heard? You can reach Natalia Alamdari at 302-324-2312, or nalamdari@delawareonline.com.