AUSTIN, Texas — The largest network of charter schools in Texas will now have a pair of conservators overseeing it.
On Wednesday, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) appointed two conservators to IDEA Public Schools following an investigation that began in 2021.
The investigation started after multiple allegations against the district of financial and operational impropriety. As part of the settlement with the TEA, IDEA is returning $28.7 million in funding to the U.S. Department of Education through monthly payments that run through December 2026.
"IDEA is pleased to have reached a settlement agreement with the Texas Education Agency and the U.S. Department of Education to resolve compliance issues our organization self-reported to regulators after an internal investigation in 2021," the district said in a statement. "IDEA invited the additional oversight by the TEA when self-reporting the findings of the audit and looks forward to the continued partnership moving forward."
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If the district fails to fix the issues, it could face a state takeover similar to what happened with the Houston Independent School District in March 2023.
IDEA stated that it installed new board members and executive leadership along with strengthening internal controls and audit procedures to close "a difficult chapter."
According to KVUE's media partners at the Austin American-Statesman, IDEA faced backlash after a private jet lease and ticket giveaways to San Antonio Spurs games were canceled. At the time, district representatives claimed the money for those items came from donations.
Documents also showed former IDEA CEO Tom Torkelson received more than $550,000 in total compensation for 2017, while the president and superintendent received more than $400,000 that same year.
The South Texas-based district currently serves more than 80,000 students across 143 schools in Texas, Florida, Louisiana and Ohio.