NH Officials Eyeing PACE Career Academy Financials, Governance

CONCORD, NH — While specifics are not known, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office has confirmed that it is looking into both financials and governance at a public charter school in Pembroke that is proposed to be closed.

Kate Giaquinto, the director of communications for the department, said its charitable trusts unit has been in communication with members of the board of trustees at PACE Career Academy "with respect to financial and governance issues." The unit, as well, had received complaints about the academy, she said.

At issue with governance is the makeup of the board of trustees which does not appear to be in adherence with the charter school board law which requires more parents to be on the board and fewer members connected to a school board. With financials, the board is recommending closing the school due to a deficit of $400,000 which is not revealed in any of the documentation with the school or the state. Even with staffing changes, the deficit would still be about $100,000, according to the board. The school's former director, Jorge Santana, he was projecting the school should have a $90,000 surplus at the end of the year.

There is also the issue of what to do with about $516,000 in cash holdings and assets as well as a building purchased in 2019 assessed at $1.35 million. Those assets will revert back to the SAU 53 school district, which created the school about 10 years ago.

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Current board members, some who work for or represent the SAU 53 school district, support the move to close the school.

On Monday, the PACE board was scheduled to meet but the meeting was canceled.

The board said the meeting was canceled "until such time as final plans regarding the status of PACE can be arranged," according to an email.

"The trustees will meet as soon as possible thereafter, and notice will be given to all parents, students, and other interested parties, of the rescheduled board of trustees meeting," the email stated. "No final actions can or will be made by the PACE Board except at a meeting of the full board."

In-person classes were also canceled for the week due to the school being unable to deliver instruction or provide services to students, an employee told parents and students via email on Monday.

Parents have told Patch that they have been having problems accessing student information and are not being told what is going on for graduation which was scheduled for Thursday.

School officials and board members have not returned requests for comment or refused to comment about the situation.

The state Board of Education, which is meeting on Thursday, was scheduled to discuss a report about the school closing. On Sunday, trustees informed students and families at PACE that the state Board of Education has requested information about the financial and staffing situation at the school as well as how it will proceed for the rest of the year.

The state board meeting runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is unknown when the issue will be discussed. Interested parties can watch the meeting via Zoom at this link.

Anyone interested in submitting comments to the board can do so by emailing Angela Adams at angela.adams@doe.nh.gov.

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