LAUSD Will Not Renew Gulen-Linked Schools’ Charters
Wednesday, August 27th, 2014
The Gulen-affiliated Magnolia Science Academy 6 in Palms will not have
its charter renewed
LOS ANGELES–The Los Angeles Unified School District Board on Tuesday
voted unanimously to not renew the charters of two schools operating
under the Gulen-affiliated Magnolia Science Academy.
The Magnolia Academy 6, a middle school in Palms and the Magnolia
Science Academy 7, an elementary school in Northridge, were both
slated to be shut down after an LAUSD audit deemed them insolvent
based on IRS standards due to a $1.7 million deficit and charged
financial misappropriations by the school administrations. The audit
also found that the school had
However, in late July LA Superior Court Judge Luis A. Lavin granted an
injunction in order to not disrupt the student community, but ordered
a strict investigation into the finances of the MERF and the Magnolia
schools. Lavin’s ruling means that the schools will remain open after
Tuesday’s vote but their charters will not be renewed for operation
beyond that.
This ruling comes a week after the Joint Legislative Audit Committee
called for a statewide audit of the Magnolia Science Academies of
California, which runs 12 tax payer-funded charter schools in the
state that have ties to the Gueln Institute, affiliated to the Turkish
cleric Fettulah Gulen.
The audit, requested by State Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, brings
forth major concerns of misappropriation of tax payer funds of the 12
Magnolia charter schools and their parent company, the Magnolia
Education and Research Foundation (MERF).
“Charter Schools play an important role in the public education system
by delivering a high quality education to our students. I am deeply
troubled that public education funds are being abused by the Magnolia
Academies. It was important to bring this request forward to ensure
that our tax payer dollars aren’t being misspent, at the expense of
the students, and the taxpayers who support public education.” said
Nazarian.
On the national level, Gulen-affiliated schools have come under
investigation for questionable financial practices, to filling teacher
positions with often unqualified people brought in from Turkey.
Gulen-affiliated charter schools in Arizona, Louisiana, Pennsylvania,
Texas and New Jersey have been under investigation by the FBI since
2011.