Roger Bacon Academy considers options after DPI releases salary info

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Leland-based charter school management company is looking at its options after state regulators yesterday released information the company believes should be protected from the state’s public records laws.

The NC Department of Public Instruction released salary data for Roger Bacon Academy employees who work in four area charter schools. RBA had submitted the data last week to satisfy an August request from DPI, but submitted it as confidential trade secrets, which are not supposed to be disclosed publicly under state law.

“We are disappointed in DPI’s decision to release confidential business information and are actively evaluating our options in light of yesterday’s action,” a statement from RBA reads. “We weigh these options with consideration of their expense to our first priority, which is ensuring that schools under our management remain the academic leaders of their counties. We are hopeful in finding an option that respects our rights as a private business while honoring our commitment to the more than 2,000 public school students we serve.”

DPI gave the salaries for administrators at Charter Day School in Leland, Columbus Charter School in Whiteville, Douglass Academy in Wilmington and South Brunswick Charter School in Southport to media outlets and others who had requested a copy of the RBA submission in public record requests.

Given the nature of issue regarding the disclosure, WWAY has chosen to withhold the specific data, though a review of it shows that the salaries are largely in line with public school counterparts.