Auditor General Eugene DePasquale released the results of his performance audit of the I-LEAD charter school this week.
“I take very seriously the responsibility for auditing all schools because I want every student to get the best education possible in a safe learning environment,” DePasquale said. “This was my team’s first audit of I-LEAD Charter School and I appreciate the cooperation from school officials.”
Auditors found that I-LEAD failed to conduct all required fire and safety drills over the course of two school years.
“State law does not afford schools any exceptions when it comes to conducting fire drills,” DePasquale said. “My report includes three recommendations for better compliance with the law and I am pleased that school leaders agree that there is room for improvement.”
Read the full audit report here: paauditor.gov/schILEADCharterSch
The I-LEAD charter school, which serves approximately 400 students in grades 9 to 12, receives approximately $5.4 million in taxpayer funding annually from the Reading School District.
I-LEAD is currently operating under the charter that expired June 30, 2019, while it awaits action from the district on its application for renewal.
“Pennsylvania has the worst charter school law in the nation,” DePasquale said. “Until the General Assembly acts to fix that, I will continue to conduct audits that hold all schools accountable to the students and taxpayers they serve.”
