Charter Day School leader speaks about staff and salary disclosure

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Yesterday state regulators told a local charter school company the information they submitted about employee salaries last month is incomplete. Today, a company leader responded publicly.

Today we asked Charter Day School, Inc., Board of Trustees Chair John Ferrante why the company is not releasing the information to the state or the media and public.

“Well that’s a question for the General Assembly,” Ferrante said. “All we can do is follow the laws that they make.”

However, the North Carolina Department of Public Information says if CDS does not submit the requested information, it would put CDS and its schools in financial non-compliance.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to speculate, because I don’t think that we’ll ever get to that point,” Ferrante said.

Charter Day School, Inc., now has until Wednesday to give the names, duties and salaries for contract employees paid by Leland-based Roger Bacon Academy.

“I think that we will work together to comply with the request and to get them the information that they are entitled to have and which they believe they need to have,” Ferrante said.

But why is it taking so long to get answers?

“That information is not required to be disclosed and is not in the possession of Charter Day School, Inc., so it’s not legally or factually possible for us to produce something that we don’t possess,” Ferrante said.

CDS and RBA were both founded by businessman Baker Mitchell. They also share a bank account.

Still, Ferrante says CDS has had to request the information from RBA, though to no avail.

“I certainly respect if the holder of the information decides to follow the law and maintain its privacy,” Ferrante said.

Ferrante says he hopes to have the Wednesday deadline extended until Oct. 27.

He never gave us a clear answer as to whether they will hand over the requested information.

CDS runs four charter schools: Charter Day School in leland, Columbus Charter School in Whiteville, Douglass Academy in Wilmington and South Brunswick Charter School in Southport.