Phil Berger Jr. fellow board member under investigation by the U.S. Dept. of Education

"Mitchell [who serves on N.C Alliance for Public Charter Schools Board with Phil Berger Jr.], has collected in the neighborhood of $16 million in taxpayer funds over the past five years for managing three charter schools...

Phil Berger had his own Charter School approved

which appears to have been approved with favoritism by the board

...two of Mitchell’s charter schools are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General.

Phil Berger Jr. has so far declined to say

whether or not he intends to profit from his charter school

...Pruden theorizes that the investigation has to do with improper enrollment practices. Boosting enrollment numbers would direct more state funding to Mitchell’s charter schools.

I hear Phil Berger Sr. appointed members of the board

that approved Phil Berger Jr's charter school 

including Jr's Chief Political Adviser Paul Norcross

who also personally profits from charter schools.

“According to information Brunswick County Schools received, the basis of the alleged investigation was that Charter Day School … used improper means to encourage homeschooled and private school students to enroll during the first few days of school to increase the average daily membership,” Pruden wrote in a letter he sent to the State Board of Education.

Phil Berger Jr., a taxpayer funded elected official

who applied for and received permission to form a taxpayer funded charter school

is scheduled to get a one year extension from the North Carolina School Board

this coming Thursday.

Mitchell says he has no knowledge of an investigation."

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2014/01/page/26/#sthash.ZNKUlaWo.dpuf
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Baker Mitchell...is also president of the N.C. Alliance for Public Charter schools and a member of the state’s Charter School Advisory board."

http://www.newbernsj.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-let-the-sun-shine-on-charter-schools-1.299058
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"Baker Mitchell companies benefit directly from Charter Day nonprofit he started

I hear Baker Mitchell was appointed to the board 

by Phil Berger Sr.

...the schools rent most of their material goods from founder Baker Mitchell's two for-profit companies

For the 2013-14 school year, Charter Day School in Leland and Columbus Charter School in Whiteville paid Mitchell's Roger Bacon Academy about $1.5 million to lease their buildings.

Should Phil Berger Jr. profit from a charter school in Rockingham County, 

partially paid for via taxpayers via Rockingham County

and North Carolina State taxpayers?

...Mitchell incorporated both the Roger Bacon Academy for-profit education management company and the for-profit Coastal Habitat Conservancy school equipment and supply rental company in early 1999.

...Charter Day and Columbus Charter schools were constructed for use as charter schools. Both schools lease the buildings and property from Roger Bacon...

Mitchell currently serves as the secretary for Charter Day School Inc.'s board of trustees, is the president of the management company and is the registered agent for the rental company.

That means Mitchell leads the company that manages the schools and the company that rents equipment to the schools and is an officer on the schools' decision-making board.

"It appears to be a closed loop of circulating money that all ends up in the management company Mr. Mitchell owns"...

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20140629/ARTICLES/140629682/1177?p=1&tc=pg