Colorado Springs charter school in turmoil over leadership, contracts

http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-charter-school-in-turmoil-over-leadership-contracts/article/1514150



Big Al, not the kiddies pal.

Colorado Springs charter school in turmoil over leadership, contracts
By Debbie Kelley Updated: February 6, 2014 at 6:48 pm • Published: February 6, 2014 | 6:40 pm

A festering feud that some say boils down to differences of philosophy and others believe has turned nefarious is driving a wedge between board members of STAR Academy.

~snip~

Space, Technology and Arts Academy, or STAR, is a K-8 charter school in Colorado Springs School District 11 that specializes in serving at-risk families. Since opening in 2007, STAR Academy has had its share of uphill battles, including rallying back from the brink of closure last year after improving academic performance on state assessments and remedying financial problems.

Now in its third year on probationary status for maintaining operations as a charter school under D-11, STAR's latest woes center on concerns about one of the people responsible for bringing the school into existence.

Some parents and board members are lobbing accusations of dishonesty at one of the founding board members, The Rev. Al Loma, claiming he's using the school as a front to help support his church, Victory Outreach.