Charter school ignores deadline for replacing CEO

The board of the embattled New Media Technology Charter School ignored yesterday's deadline for replacing Ina Walker, the school's chief executive officer, setting up a possible showdown with the Philadelphia School Reform Commission.

Two weeks ago, the commission voted unanimously to require New Media to replace Walker, board chairman Hugh C. Clark, and the rest of its board, and to meet more than 20 other conditions in order to obtain a new, five-year operating charter.

The conditions were designed to address allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest at the school, which has campuses in the city's Stenton and Germantown sections.

New Media also failed to meet yesterday's deadline for Clark and two other board members to resign. The rest of the board is supposed to be replaced by Oct. 15.

Benjamin W. Rayer, an associate superintendent who oversees charters, said the district expects New Media to meet all the conditions.

"If they don't, the SRC reserves the right to revoke the charter," he said.

Rayer said SRC members would be briefed on New Media's failure to comply when the commission meets next Wednesday.

The district's general counsel is reviewing the state charter law, but Rayer said it is believed the commission would have to vote again to begin the process of revoking New Media's charter.

Even if that occurs, it is unlikely to disrupt the new school year because the vote would be just a first step in a lengthy process.

Michael Frattone, an attorney representing New Media, said the charter board was willing to meet nearly all the conditions the SRC had imposed.

"If you look at the 23 conditions, the board is taking steps to comply with virtually all of them," he said. "But the concern is with the CEO and what happens to her."

Board members, Frattone said, believe that Walker is integral to the school's academic success and that forcing her to leave would jeopardize New Media.

In the 2007-08 school year, 32 percent of the school's students met state standards in math and 40 percent in reading.

All 68 of the school's June graduates were accepted to postsecondary schools, school officials said.

Frattone also said that because board members want to ensure an orderly transition, they may not be able to comply with the SRC's deadlines and time frames.

"They are very hopeful that this is going to be an orderly process and an orderly transition," Frattone said. "They do want to work with the district."

The SRC twice delayed voting on renewing New Media's charter to allow the district's inspector general to complete an investigation of allegations of financial mismanagement and conflicts of interest.

As The Inquirer has reported, there were times in the last year that New Media had to borrow to make payroll. As part of a widening criminal probe of area charter schools, federal investigators recently began examining allegations that funds from the charter school had been used to pay some expenses of a private school, a restaurant, and a health-food store, according to sources with knowledge of the inquiry. All have ties to Walker and Clark.

The charter, which opened in 2005, enrolled 484 fifth through 12th graders during the last academic year.