Is the reason Gary Chartrand wants more money for KIPP because they owe him three and a half million dollars?

KIPP has three count them three charities that take care of it with combined assets as of 2017 the most recent tax returns available on Guidestar of  58 million dollars.

https://www.guidestar.org/search

Now that's not all cash, most of it is land and buildings, but I did find this interesting bit.



It says Due right, which means owed, I mean I think that is what it means unless the city attorney changed the meaning of that word too.

So what does all this mean? Heck if i know. I have degrees in poli sci and psychology because I wanted to take as little math as possible and all I know about tax returns is the only good thing about just paying interests on your student loans is that helps with them.

I do know however that having three charities seems hinky and KIPP plays every loophole available and I would imagine the people doing their taxes do as well.

To look at the KIPP's school three charities 2017 tax returns, click the links.

https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2017/264/046/2017-264046824-0ee20e3d-9.pdf

https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2017/474/726/2017-474726810-0ee6b79a-9.pdf

https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2017/273/004/2017-273004832-0ee81f2e-9.pdf

How KIPP plays the "get public money" shell game

If you wanted to open up a charter school, you could get hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants and tax credits from both the state and federal government. It ends up being a nice chunk of change.

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oii/csp/index.html

If you go to KIPP's website it says it is running three schools out of its property.

KIPP Impact, KIPP Elementary, KIPP Voice.

https://www.kippjax.org/schools-programs/

They don't, KIPP Impact merged with KIPP Voice so KIPP Voice would have avoided its second straight D grade, you know because KIPP does such a great job when compared to neighborhood schools.

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/education/2017-06-07/duval-school-board-oks-new-charters-school-merger

You are probably asking why they would want KIPP voice anyway, at the time they started it they already had two K-up schools on their campus. Well friends its because of the grant money, hundreds of thousands of dollars. Money I doubt they had to pay back when they merged KIPP Voice with KIP Impact and this bares repeating because of their undeserved reputation of having great grades, to avoid a second straight D.

KIPP's ability to play the rake in public money game should make us all groan but it is especially egregious since  it's founder Gary Chartrand is fighting against the special tax referendum  and one of his chief arguments is the need for the school board to be a good steward of public money. Well friends his school is picking up an additional 2,691,000 in public money this year alone. Chartrand and his mayor, Lenny Curry are saying "no" to money for public schools, while literally playing the public coffers like a fiddle to get far more public money for the KIPP school than any other school gets.  How is that right, fair or decent?

I don't think this should be lost on anyone either. They say they have three schools, three schools which each got charter start up grants, but they only have one budget.

https://www.kippjax.org/who-we-are/public-information/ 

KIPP spends almost double what DCPS spends per pupil, and it's owners and Mayor Curry want to give them more

According to great schools here is the enrollment of the KIPP schools.

KIPP Jacksonville k-8 310
KIPP Impact   779

https://www.greatschools.org/florida/jacksonville/18701-KIPP-Jacksonville-K-8/

Their budget for the upcoming school year is 14,662,175 bucks.

https://www.kippjax.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/KIPP-Jacksonville-2019-Budget-Public-Information.pdf

Which would mean they spend 13,445 per student or you know almost twice what is spent on a DCPS student

Say great schools if off by 351 kids and they really have 1,440 which their expansion a few years back said they could expand to, then they still spend a little over ten thousand.

How accurate are my numbers? My bet is they are off some, not a lot, but some. KIPP has traditionally spent about a half more per student and my numbers above indicate it may be even more than that.

This year alone they received 2,631,000 extra in tax payer money. While public schools have been starved. Why do only the kids at KIPP matter to Lenny Curry, Gary Chartrand and the civic Council?

I think KIPP does a mediocre job with the resources it has and any public school given its resources would far exceed what it does, but what is really infuriating, is the civic council despite KIPP spending almost double per pupil is fighting to get it even more at the expense of the vast majority of children whose schools have been neglected and who really need it. Then throw in a Mayor and City council who are more willing to do the bidding of their donors rather than doing what is right by their constituents. That's pretty bad too. 

The KIPP school has taken in an extra 1,441,000 Duval Tax Payer dollars over the last three years.

631,000 This year, 725,000 last year and 85,000 the year before, for a grand total of  1,441,000.

To see KIPP's budgets for the last three years click the link,

https://www.kippjax.org/who-we-are/public-information/

Those first two numbers are from the Kids Hope Alliance formerly the Jacksonville Children's Commission and they were for its longer school day. Not an after school program but for its regular school day.

Could DCPS come hat in hand to them and say we think some of our schools could benefit from a longer school day and get funds? Why do I think no.

Then the 85 grand came from the old Jacksonville Journey because, you know reasons.

This all on top of the millions that Jason Fischer annually puts in the state budget.

Friends think about this, our city government leaders aren't willing to do anything for our public schools, but at the same time send backpacks full of cash to charters with close ties to the donors who give our city leaders, back packs full of cash. What's the sticking point? Those donors want even more cash.

To read more click the links:

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-civic-councils-pet-charter-schools.html

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2018/06/where-kipp-may-be-mediocre-at-educating.html

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2017/05/did-gary-chartrand-pay-politicians-to.html

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2019/03/state-rep-wants-millions-extra-for-his.html

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2019/03/jason-fischer-wants-two-million-extra.html

Did you know KIPP got 631,000 in Duval County Cash

They also got an extra two million inserted in the state budget by Jason Fischer who has taken wheel barrels full of cash like Lenny Curry has from Gary Chartrand.

Lenny Curry has said we don't have money for a special tax referendum despite the facts DCPS said they would pay for it and it would save 5 million dollars if it passes this November, but we have 631,000 extra to send to his donors pet charter school? For $#%^ sake.



The KIPP school rakes in tax payer money hand over fist and the Civic Council and Mayor are fighting aginst needed money for our public schools so they can get an even bigger piece of the pie. Their greed knows no bounds.

Friends we aren't be led by Mayor Curry we are being ruled by him as he only answers to his donors.

Lenny Curry and the City Council approve 1.2 million for a medium sized business while pleading poverty to help its public schools.

One of the reasons Lenny Curry has given for not wanting the special election for the tax referendum is the cost, probably around a million dollars. He and several city council members have complained despite the district saying they would pay for it and if it passed this November it would save about 5 million dollars.

They complain about costs while spending like drunken sailors on the Landing, and this.

From the Jax Daily Record, 

Chill Build Jacksonville LLC is ready to construct a $43.5 million Preferred Freezer Services facility in Northwest Jacksonville, with a permit and mortgage issued over the past week. 

Preferred Freezer Services, a national refrigerated storage warehouse company, proposes to create at least 40 jobs. 

City Council adopted legislation Feb. 12 to provide $1.2 million in grants to Preferred Freezer Services of Jacksonville II LLC for the project. The project would create the jobs, at an average annual wage of $47,775, by year-end 2021.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/permit-loan-issued-for-dollar43-million-cold-storage-center?fbclid=IwAR2rDr7d58gi_bFIsB2D_-mTnvzZR4ViWwj_M9TupBL1baBoZ71P-Rfvh58

Create 40 jobs for a 43 million dollar facility? That sounds great, but it also sounds like a drop in the bucked to what the tax referendum would create.

The mayor and city council are willing to spend 1.2 million to create 40 jobs but they aren't willing to let the school board spend a million to bring in 1.2 billion which would create jobs, fix schools, increase property values, revitalize neighborhoods, attract more businesses and stop flight to the suburbs. Friends they hate public schools so much they are willing to let them crumble and are refusing to do their jobs. Think about that!

The school board has tried to do everything right and it hasn't mattered.

Community meetings, about 20, check including one where they obviously listened to the Raines and Ribault Community.

https://www.wokv.com/news/local/raines-ribault-consolidations-not-included-duval-superintendent-master-facility-plan-recommendation/7I3dk2KXUuaOcgnArkBjWI/

Questions answered by the mayor, lots of questions.
https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190625/duval-sales-tax-referendum-stands-still-at-city-council-meeting

They didn't leave the city council out either.
https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190612/jacksonville-city-council-peppers-school-board-with-sales-tax-questions

They even spelled out what charters would be eligible for.
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/how-will-charter-schools-be-incorporated-in-districts-facilities-plan [news4jax.com]

And now they have a master plan with the board voting 5-1 for it tonight.

Involve the community, check, answer the mayor and city councils questions, check, included charters in their plans, check, have a master plan, check. Things should be smooth sailing right? The sad thing is we all know it won't be because Lenny Curry isn't interested in doing anything to help our schools. He is comfortable seeing them crumble.

Friends, we have a mail which is more interested in seeing schools fail rather than succeed and that should make us all angry.

Curry loves public schools so much, he had a charter school exec introduce him at his inauguration

Yeah he loves pubic schools all right. so much he had a charter school exec introduce him at his inauguration.

From Nate Monroe's column in the Times Union,

Curry and the City Council have for now shut down the School Board’s request for voters to weigh in on a half-cent sales tax, which would pay for a major $1 billion-plus renovation of the public school system’s aging buildings. But Curry has indicated he wants to work with the board on a new plan — one that aligns with the wishes of many of his donors and other civic leaders: More tax funding for charters schools. Indeed, the head of KIPP Jacksonville Schools, a source of pride for local charter advocates, emceed the inauguration event Monday, and Curry included in his remarks a shout out to “school choice.”  

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190701/its-easier-here-inauguration-edition?fbclid=IwAR3Jjyiq7XaG2bJ1FlWcAnyGoudlyY5nPPpBstDexzDspE915TbVJPsQNRs

Can there be any doubt at this point that Lenny Curry wants our public schools to fail so they can be replaced by charter schools.  What's worse is he is willing to risk economic prosperity for the city to satisfy his donor's desires.

Friends we aren't being led by a group looking our for the common good, no instead we are being ruled by people looking out for themselves. 

Mayor Curry's disingenuous remarks about children

Did he chuckle to himself as he wrote his remarks? 

We have a mayor who lies as easily as I breath, he's like Trump without the orange tan.

Below is what he said at his inauguration and who wants to bet the over under of the cost was low six figures?

Warning don't read with milk in your mouth.

From the Times Union,

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry repeatedly called for protecting young people from crime and giving “every kid” an equal chance for success as he took the oath of office Monday for a second term.

The themes of Curry’s speech reflected two of the biggest issues he’ll face over the next four years — the Duval County School Board’s push for a referendum on a half-cent sales tax for schools and the violent crime rate that continues to be far higher in Duval County than other urban counties...

...How that vision will mesh with the School Board remains unclear.

Curry pledged he will pursue his second-term initiatives with “urgency,” a word School Board members likewise use for the need to overhaul aging facilities by bringing a “21st Century” model to schools across the city.

The School Board is scheduled Tuesday night to consider approving Superintendent Diana Greene’s recommendation for a $1.9 billion master facilities plan. The plan covers a host of schools, but its main focus is aging schools that are clustered most heavily in parts of the city with struggling neighborhoods.

The School Board voted May 7 to put the referendum on the ballot Nov. 5 in a special election, but the board is awaiting a decision by City Council, which has ultimate authority over whether there is a referendum, according to city lawyers.

Curry said last week he stands ready to campaign for voter approval of a half-cent sales tax if he’s convinced the school district’s plan is financially prudent, well thought out and includes charter schools.

https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20190701/jacksonville-mayor-lenny-curry-puts-young-people-at-center-of-second-term-goals

He says he has a sense of urgency for children, Urgency, URGENCY!!!! Unless you child attends a DCPS school, then he could care less, then they are nothing pawns in his plan to get more money for charter schools. 

I just want to remind everyone once again, the school board does not work for the mayor and it took a corrupt or incompetent city attorney changing the meaning of the word shall for us to get here.

What does the civic council care about? Apparently nothing but taking over our schools.

This is how the Civic Council bills themselves: The Jacksonville Civic Council seeks to shape and define Jacksonville’s future as a premier national and international city with a thriving economy, vibrant civic, cultural and educational institutions, and a high quality of life for all who call it home. By formulating fact-based strategies to address the challenges that others are unwilling or unable to address, we aim to meet the needs of today and build a future marked by prosperity and success.

http://www.jaxciviccouncil.com/

Okay, I could see education being part of that. but I could also see so many more things, like blight, downtown development, the landing, the sports and entertainment complex, public transportation and the list goes on and on.

Here is a list of committees they say they have,

Civic Council Committees and Task Force Chairs:

Timothy Cost, Jacksonville University, Strategic Planning Committee

Gary Chartrand, Acosta, Education Task Force

Daniel Edelman, Dixon Hughes Goodman, Finance Committee

Steve Halverson, Haskell, and Co-Chair Pension Task Force

Kevin Hyde, Foley and Lardner, UF Health Task Force

Rusty Newton, Timucuan Asset Management, Co-Chair Membership Committee

Peter Rummell, Rummell-Munz, Co-Chair Pension Task Force

Cindy Stover, TD Bank, Co-Chair Membership Committee

Okay, they present themselves as having a lot going on, but when is the last time you heard a peep out of them for anything besides education.

Last year, they demanded to be part of the process to pick the superintendent

http://jaxkidsmatter.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-civic-council-moves-to-take-over.html

Then we all know how they have fought against the referendum

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/297921-jacksonville-civic-council-referendum

But that is it, they haven't cared about anything else for years.

From the Jaxson,

The Landing isn’t the only issue the Civic Council sat out on this year. They also stayed on the sidelines as the city considered a convention center at the old Courthouse site, although they suggested their own plans for a convention center in the same space back in 2011.

By staying silent on important issues, the Civic Council hurts its standing as an independent voice for addressing major challenges. It certainly damages their claim to be non-partisan if they lambaste plans by a Democratic mayor but give a free pass when a Republican’s in office. Silence also hurts their credibility when they do weigh in on issues like the school district master plan - if they’re worried about taxpayer dollars, why only when they’re going to public schools?

It’s a pity. Jacksonville benefits when community leaders come together to face serious challenges. The city is in a better place because of the Civic Council’s advocacy and leadership on important issues like the Human Rights Ordinance. It’ll be in a worse place if even the people dedicated to addressing tough challenges decide to sit on the sidelines except when it’s expedient.

https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/where-is-the-civic-council-in-the-landing-controversy/

Two things, this was an excellent article that everyone should read, and they haven't cared about anything for years except for the takeover of our schools.

If they cared about our city they would be fighting for the referendum because it would do so much good for the entire city, not just it's schools, but they aren't and this tells me it's all about control and money, more for them at the expense of the rest of us.

We deserve better than the Civic Council.