Board Votes to Close AISU Charter School This Summer
May 8, 2019, 7:14 PM | Updated: 7:15 pm
MURRAY, Utah — It’s the end of the road for American International School of Utah.
The board of directors voted unanimously Wednesday evening to shutter the Murray charter school after the end of the school year. The move comes as the school faces mounting financial trouble.
Board members became emotional as they decided the fate of the K-13 school that’s in its fifth year with approximately 1,300 students in attendance and 150 staff members.
“Our families and our students really care about this community and it’s meant so much to them in so many different ways,” said AISU’s communications director Jordan King. “We’re all experiencing a myriad of different emotions.”
The school must close on or before Aug. 15, the board said. Parents told KSL they are left scrambling to find a similar school that meets the needs of their children.
“I’m glad we were able to come for the amount of time the school was open,” said Amy King, whose two sons attend AISU. “It gave us a whole new outlook on things that are possible.”
BREAKING: Board votes unanimously to CLOSE American International School of Utah after the end of the school year. AISU charter school has been facing financial trouble and state scrutiny. @KSL5TV @KSLcom @kslnewsradio pic.twitter.com/eEvQgDa88h
— Ladd Egan (@laddegan) May 8, 2019
During the meeting, board members discussed $514,000 in special education funding that needs to be repaid because it was used for unallowable expenses. Jordan King said the mismanagement of the funds happened during previous school years and under a separate administration.
The Utah State Charter School Board placed AISU on official warning status in December 2018 citing “concerns with the long-term financial viability” of the school and a “failure to meet academic goals.”
The special education funding isn’t the only problem for the school. The charter school boards confirms that the state is auditing a separate matter. The school told KSL the separate matter is about whether investors will be repaid.
The school says it’s been promised by the state that shutting down will make things easier.
“The charter board has indicated that if we choose to vote to close they will help to support us through that closure and at that point they’ve indicated that any further investigation will be put on hold or stopped altogether,” Jordan King said.
