Santa Fe South Superintendent Reacts To Special Audit Of Charter School District

Santa Fe South Charter School District superintendent Chris Brewster responded Friday to Oklahoma City Public Schools’ board of education unanimous decision to audit Santa Fe South earlier this week.

“Tonight, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously following an executive session to call for a special audit by State Auditor and Inspector, Cindy Byrd, of Santa Fe South Charter School for FY (fiscal year) 2018-19 and 2019-20 and any other years deemed necessary,” a statement from OKCPS said in part. “The purpose of the special audit requested is to determine compliance with statutes, rules, policies and internal control procedures. In light of comments shared at the OSDE Board of Education meeting on Friday, April 9, the Board felt this was an important step to take as an authorizer of Santa Fe South.”

Brewster said that the call for the special audit caught him off guard.

“I mean, very honestly, confusion, anger, defensiveness,” Brewster said.

Brewster said he has asked to stand in front of OKCPS’ board of education to answer any questions it may have that led to the call for the audit. 

The district is compiled of seven schools and an early childhood center. There are 3,500 students enrolled in the charter school district.

After 20 years with Oklahoma City Public Schools as the district’s authorizer, Oklahoma City Community College will fulfill that role come July 1.

“Charter authorizers can charge up to three percent of state funds that are generated for school use for administration oversight,” Brewster said.

The change means OKCPS will no longer receive the three percent of state funding.

“This year was about $700,000 and, in the past 10 years, close to $5 million,” Brewster said.

Brewster implied that's one of the reasons why the board might have requested the audit.

“I don’t know the motivation, but I think the timing is an interesting thing to consider,” Brewster said.

The district also cited comments shared at the state board of education’s meeting last Friday, regarding a $300,000 loan to help another charter school through a nonprofit development corporation that supports Santa Fe South.

“That appears to be what folks are interested in, although back in the spring of this year before the board of education and OKCPS,” Brewster said. “Everyone was aware. We thought of how this was all of our legal docs were vetted by our attorneys. The process was presented to the state board and legal counsel, so we are bit confused why it is an issue all of a sudden.”

News 9 reached out to OKCPS for a statement on what superintendent Brewster told us Friday and have not heard back.