High Country Times

WASHINGTON – Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chairman Aaron Bean (R-FL), House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) have demanded answers from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) after it refused to reimburse $1.5 million to Success Academy charter school due to a singular typographical error in a reimbursement submission.

In a letter addressed to NYSED Commissioner Betty A. Rosa, the lawmakers expressed their concerns regarding the reimbursement denial. They highlighted that the rejection of $1.5 million was solely based on a simple typographical error in the submission made by Success Academy. The letter stated, "On October 26 and November 2, 2023, Success Academy made two Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) reimbursement submissions to NYSED. Based on those submissions, we are unaware of any reason permissible under ESSER for that rejection of $1.5 million of expenses."

Furthermore, the lawmakers pointed out that Success Academy, in response to NYSED's request, made a third submission where a trivial typographical error occurred. Despite the error being minor and obvious, Deputy Commissioner Christina Coughlin used it as a basis to disallow all expenses incurred by Success Academy in 2020. The lawmakers urged a prompt review of Deputy Commissioner Coughlin's ruling on the matter.

The letter from Foxx, Bean, Stefanik, and Williams also included specific questions for NYSED, seeking clarifications on the reasons behind the reimbursement disallowance and requesting guarantees for Success Academy's full reimbursement if errors are found. Additionally, the lawmakers asked NYSED to provide detailed explanations for the alleged discrepancies in Success Academy's submission.

The full details of the letter can be accessed through the provided link for those interested in a comprehensive understanding of the lawmakers' concerns and inquiries.