Newark Charter School Fund


In its first two years of operation, the Newark Charter School Fund spent more on consultants and internal compensation than it gave in grants to local schools.

Tax records show that administrative expenses accounted for 42.6 percent of the fund's expenditures in 2008-09, which non-profit monitors describe as an unusually high amount.

While putting almost $2.4 million into compensation for its own officers, staff salaries and consulting fees, the fund gave barely half that to individual schools…

The largest single recipient of NCSF money over the two years was the New York-based New Leaders for New Schools, where fund partner Mashea Ashton was executive director and remains a senior advisor…

Asked earlier this year what grants the fund was providing to Newark schools and groups, fund officials declined to answer. After back-and-forth over why the question was being asked, fund spokesman Bruno Tedeschi said, "We're conducting an internal review as to how much information we have to give out."

The NCSF did not respond to requests for comment on this story…

With full funding in 2009 -- $1,115,596 from the four big donors and $557,799 from Jobs -- activity picked up at the NCSF.

Again, New Leaders for New Schools got the most money, $423,865 to train four residents in 2008-09 as well as $221,933 to select, train and pay two for 2009-10. Building Excellent Schools got another $49,000 for the fellowship…

In Newark, the largest windfall went to Lady Liberty Charter School LINK: $346,665 to recruit and pay two new administrators; $30,000 to search for a new executive director; and $53,335 to the Efficacy Institute of Waltham, Mass., for a professional development plan for the school…

As the fund was making these investments, its spending on officer and staff compensation grew to $848,804. Of that, Leschley received $244,900 and Wright $146,438. Consultants got $902,170, with four making $109,500 or more. (New Leaders for New Schools reported paying Ashton $198,325 in salary and benefits in 2009.)…

It is not unusual to find interlocking boards or officers in either the corporate or non-profit worlds, the analysts said, as in the case of Ashton and New Leaders for New Schools…

"The ideal thing is for a non-profit to have a completely independent board," Elmaleh said…

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