Audit review finds Charter Institute at Erskine compliant; institute says it implemented LAC recommendations

Cameron Runyon, leader of the Charter Institute at Erskine, told a legislative subcommittee that a Legislative Audit Council review of the institute’s operations produced constructive recommendations and that the institute has implemented several changes.

Runyon said the institute provided nearly 14,000 pages of documents to the LAC and that staff spent more than 3,500 man‑hours responding to the review. He thanked the LAC and said the process produced helpful feedback and specific recommendations the institute had already begun to implement, including clarifying venue‑use policy, separate accounts for charitable contributions and separating Teach Right USA from the institute’s finances and governance.

Runyon emphasized academic gains under the institute’s oversight. He cited improvement in virtual‑school graduation rates — from 45.2% in the first year to 87.4% today — and described incentives and leadership cohorts designed to raise state report cards.

Runyon also said the institute is projected to have about 37,000 students next year and will take on five Limestone schools as part of the Limestone Charter Association closure. He asked that any legislative funding for charter schools be sustainable, scalable and equitable and said the institute had no specific numeric appropriation request at the hearing.

What comes next: the committee asked Runyon and other charter leaders to return for additional questioning at a follow‑up meeting scheduled one hour after session on Tuesday.

Sources: Testimony from Cameron Runyon to a legislative subcommittee (transcript).