ORLANDO, Fla. — A new school for autistic children will be opening in the location at the center of a $4.5 million Medicaid fraud investigation.
“We took over the lease and purchased the furnishings and what not so it'll look very similar,” Lodestone Academy President Josh Pritchard said.
He plans to expand the downtown Orlando school to the Angels Center location.
The academy helps students with developmental disabilities and autism, similar to Angels Center.
Pritchard hopes to see about half of the 80 students who once attended the center to return.
“We can probably get up to 40 or maybe 50 of those, depending on our interview process with the staff,” Pritchard said.
The Florida Department of Education said the quick change is legal, but an inspection is still needed before students can return.
There are two fliers on the door of the building, one in English the other in Spanish, telling parents there's an open house Thursday to meet the new team.
Liam Cruz enrolled in public school shortly after state investigators say the administrators from Angels billed Medicaid for one-on-one therapy Liam never received.
New administrators say that type of therapy will only be given after school, if it’s needed by the student.
“A lot of other kids are pretty severe, so they're not able to go that public school route,” parent Rufino Cruz said.
He said his son is doing well in school so far, but plans to be at the open house Thursday as a backup option.
Angels in Miami and Heaven Academy in college park are still closed and it's unclear what the plans are for the two facilities.
The academy plans to open its doors by next Monday.
As for the previous two administrators of angels, they are out of jail on bail.