The State Public Charter School Authority board voted to issue Akipo Academy a notice of concern for the 2024–25 school year after staff found repeated and material failures to submit required documents and timely reports.

SPCSA staff reported Akipo received “does not meet standard” ratings in governance, education personnel, special education, health and safety, education requirements and operations. Danny Peltier said Akipo submitted only 44% of Epicenter tasks on time during the 2024–25 year and failed to provide a range of required documents, including a special education policies and procedures manual, an annual emergency operations plan and board policies and procedures.

Peltier told the board that some submissions were severely late — the English language policy was 150 days late and employee information for all staff was 225 days late on initial submission — and that Akipo did not submit requested materials during the cure period after preliminary findings were shared on Sept. 10.

“As such, SPCSA staff found Akipo to be out of compliance due to evidence of weak organizational performance through ongoing oversight and repeated material failure to submit items in a timely and or complete manner,” Peltier said. Staff recommended the board issue a notice of concern; the motion carried.

The notice of concern does not itself change the school’s charter term but signals escalating oversight; staff indicated the designation will trigger continued monitoring and require Akipo to cure outstanding items. The board’s action followed staff’s finding that although some out-of-compliance ratings were concentrated in operations (timeliness), Akipo had multiple substantive missing documents across programmatic and governance areas.

Board members asked whether Akipo had communicated a plan to cure outstanding items; staff said the school did not submit a formal cure plan during the cure period and that Epicenter sends regular notices about outstanding tasks. Member Stern asked for confirmation that documents remained outstanding despite the cure period; staff confirmed they were not provided.