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Oasis Middle School outlines survival plan as board weighs next steps on long-running financial deficit
Summary
Oasis Middle School leaders told the district a combination of a mortgage sale, a leaseback to a local buyer, staffing reductions and an enrollment push aim to steady operations. The district will review year-end audits and PM3 academic data in June before deciding whether to allow additional time for the charter's recovery.
Oasis Middle School presented a detailed financial turnaround update to the Manatee County School Board on April 14, 2026, as district staff, the school's founder and board members examined a multi-year deficit and what would be required to sustain the charter.
Founder and director Edna Fields Bailey said the school had been carrying a conventional mortgage on its building and that the loan was sold late in 2025 to an investor that did not negotiate with small charter schools. Bailey said a local businessman, Alan Bazzi, subsequently purchased the property and arranged an LLC lease-back, allowing Oasis to continue operating while removing the immediate mortgage burden. "We were very grateful that... he stepped up to help in the situation," Bailey told the board.
Bailey described cost-cutting measures already taken, including the elimination of several teaching-assistant positions and a…
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