CCA Responds to Misleading, Inaccurate Column

The Bucks County Beacon on January 19, 2023, published a column titled, “The Role of Real Estate In the For-Profit Charter School Grift“. CCA sent a letter to the editor in response to the column; however, the Bucks County Beacon has ignored CCA’s response. Below is CCA’s response to the above-linked column. Dear Editor: Peter […]

01/31/2023

The Bucks County Beacon on January 19, 2023, published a column titled, “The Role of Real Estate In the For-Profit Charter School Grift“.

CCA sent a letter to the editor in response to the column; however, the Bucks County Beacon has ignored CCA’s response.

Below is CCA’s response to the above-linked column.

Dear Editor:

Peter Greene’s Jan. 19 column, “The Role of Real Estate In The For-Profit Charter School Grift”, not only peddles misinformation, but it’s grossly inaccurate and borders on journalistic malpractice.

Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA) is an independent public cyber charter school that has no connection to nor is managed by a third-party entity. We terminated that arrangement seven years ago.

As a public school and a non-profit organization, CCA is run by a volunteer, non-compensated board of trustees comprised of individuals who have extensive backgrounds in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education; business; financial management; the military; accounting; real estate; auditing; executive management; and non-profit operations.

As a public school, CCA owns and operates family services centers across the state to serve and support our more than 22,500 enrolled students. Our buildings aren’t real estate investments, they are meant for and used by students, families, staff, and community organizations.

Mr. Greene’s attempt to portray CCA President and CEO Thomas D. Longenecker’s comments as being nefarious or alluding to operating a “real estate company” falls flat and maligns CCA’s statutory requirements to educate students.

All public schools own buildings. This isn’t anything new.

It’s clear Mr. Greene doesn’t support families having the right to choose the school that best serves their children, but his anti-school choice advocacy shouldn’t be disguised as journalism.