FLVS says DOE hasn't contacted school about audit

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Florida Virtual School said the state department of education has not said anything about the possibility of a full audit of the school.

Channel 9's Shannon Butler reported last week that Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran was calling for an audit following questions about funding, grades and the hiring of the school's CEO.

Two board members resigned last week and an interim CEO was picked after CEO Bob Porter passed away last month.

Sara Sprinkle told Channel 9 the Florida education commissioner to intervene at the school before a new CEO is hired.

Porter’s hiring was controversial. He was a consultant for the school and was hired after the board of trustees spent $100,000 for a firm to do a national search.

Sprinkle said Porter wreaked havoc at the school, writing in a letter, "I do not like to speak ill of the dead, but I can no longer remain quiet."

Sprinkle also questioned Porter’s hiring of Lady Dhyana Ziegler, a board member who voted to give Porter the CEO job.

In the letter, Sprinkle said, "Porter announced to the leadership team that he was taking over the reins and bringing Lady Di on board as part of the ‘deal.’ I was dismayed since I found it unlikely or even illegal for a sitting board member to vote for a new CEO as part of a job she would eventually take.”

With Porter's death, the issue might have been settled, but the precedent for selection is was questioned.

However, the day after Sprinkle's email was sent, the board voted to give Zeigler the interim CEO job.

“I request you, the education leader of our state, intervene at FLVS and ensure the highest quality programs and people continue to serve our state.  I did not want to write this, but it is very difficult to watch the dismantling of what I spent 10 years developing,” Sprinkle wrote.

Corcoran's office said he read the letter before calling for the audit.

Details as to the scope and depth of the audit have not been determined.

Sources told Channel 9's Shannon Butler Corcoran has heard concerns about what led to the resignation of the school's longtime attorney, the hiring of the former president Bob Porter and the hiring of at least two other upper level staff members, including how the now-interm CEO was put in place after Porter's death last month.

The board is working on a contract for Ziegler. The decision about a new CEO will be taken up at the board of trustees meeting in May.

The FLVS went through a financial audit that ended in June 2018 without any major reporting issues.

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