Board 'Inclined' to Relinquish Monitoring Role

Adrian M. Fenty might seek control of schools if he becomes mayor. (Rick Reinhard - Courtesy Of Adrian-m. Fenty)

Federal investigators are looking into possible misuse of public funds by the board's charter school oversight office. Brenda L. Belton, who was hired as administrator of the office, had been placed on paid leave in June. She was fired this month.

If the board's proposal to shift oversight of the charters is approved, it would mark a major, controversial change in the District. About 25 percent of public school students attend the steadily growing number of charter schools.

Thomas A. Nida, chairman of the board that oversees 37 charter schools with an enrollment of 14,544 students, said yesterday that his board has discussed the possibility of taking responsibility for the other charters. He said the panel would consider doing so if asked.

"There's no reason they should be cast adrift," he said, referring to the 5,196 students currently in the Board of Education charter schools.

The school board had agreed to keep the plan a secret and announce it to the public in a way that would allow people to "absorb the information," according to school board member Jeff Smith (District 1). Smith, a member of the ad hoc Charter School Committee, would not offer details about the plan.

But Cafritz recently told a reporter about the board's plan, angering a number of her board colleagues.

Staff writer Valerie Strauss contributed to this report.