FIRST ON 3: DPI releases RBA salary info marked ‘confidential,’ ‘trade secret’

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has released to several media outlets including WWAY salary information submitted by a Leland-based educational management company for employees who work at four area charter schools even though it was submitted as confidential trade secrets.

Roger Bacon Academy submitted the information last week through Charter Day School, Inc., whose schools it manages.

The submission on Roger Bacon Academy letterhead begins with the header in red type “Proprietary and Confidential Privately Owned Business Information.” It then includes bullet points about the nature of the information and why it should be protected under state statue from being disclosed under North Carolina’s public record laws. It ends with red text that reads “Unauthorized release of this confidential information may result in incurring liability.”

The information was disclosed to state regulators to satisfy an August request for the information. WWAY and other media outlets have requested the information from Charter Day School, Inc., in an attempt to help provide transparency in how public money is being spent on charter schools in North Carolina.

Due to the nature of the provisions of the submission, WWAY is withholding publication of the salary information until it can consult with an attorney, but salaries for assistant head masters at the schools is comparable to assistant principals at public schools in the area, while one of three headmasters cited appears to make more than a typical public school principal.

A RBA spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.

“CDS is in compliance with the state. We are all working hard for the kids. We are glad this is behind us,” said John Ferrante, CDS Board of Trustees Chair.

This is not the first time DPI has released information like this submitted as a trade secret. WWAY first reported last month that DPI had released information from Rocky Point Prep’s management company that had also been submitted with the understanding it not be released under the state’s public records laws. A DPI spokeswoman told WWAY the situation was being looked into, but has provided no other updates.

CDS holds the charter for Charter Day School in Leland, Columbus Charter School in Whiteville, , Douglass Academy in Wilmington and South Brunswick Charter School in Southport.