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Manatee board flags prolonged charter deficits; asks for presentations and legal review
Summary
Board members were told two charter schools — Visible Men Academy and Oasis — have carried deficits for months or years; the board asked legal staff to review charter contracts and invited charters to present corrective-action plans after the district and DOE followed up.
The School District of Manatee County told trustees on Tuesday that two charter schools operating under district authorization have sustained multi-month deficits and that the board will seek further explanation and legal review.
Rachel Sellers, the districtfinance lead, reported that Visible Men Academy entered a deficit last summer (about $43,000) and remained in the red at roughly $47,000 as of January 2026. She said Oasis has been in deficit since October 2023 and had an unassigned general fund deficit of about $236,000 as of January. Department of Education officials followed up after Oasisaudit materials flagged a "going concern," Ms. Sellers said; the school reported a mortgage liability that was extended through December 2040.
Board members expressed concern about the duration and scale of the deficits, asked for more detailed fiscal forecasts and student/grade-level data, and urged staff to require the charters to present corrective-action plans. Chair Spray and other trustees said they expected more oversight given the districtcontract with each charter school.
Legal staff (referred to in the meeting) will review charter contracts and advise whether the district can, or should, pursue contractual remedies or demand more immediate corrective steps. Trustees agreed it is appropriate to ask the two schools to appear before the board to explain their financial plans and timelines for returning to positive balances.
District staff said they have followed state monitoring rules (citing State Board of Education rule 6A-1.0081) and have notified the Florida Department of Education. Ms. Sellers told the board DOE had queried the district about whether the district agreed with each charterproposed corrective-action plan and had requested copies of future fiscal-year forecasts.
No board action to terminate or change charters was taken on Tuesday. Trustees directed district counsel to review contract rights and to schedule presentations by the affected charter leaders so the board can evaluate progress and next steps.
