Judge bars comptroller audit of charter schools
By Rick Karlin
Albany
A state Supreme Court justice ruled this week that state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli lacks the authority to audit charter schools. And while the decision stemmed from a New York City case, it has implications statewide — including in Albany, where DiNapoli has recently criticized the operations of a well-known charter operation.
Charter school supporters hailed the decision, while DiNapoli's office said they might appeal it.
"We think a lot of (the auditing) was redundant," said Bill Phillips, president of the Northeast Charter School Network. He said the authorizers of charters schools, including the State University and Board of Regents, already have auditing authority.
"We are disappointed that the court struck down a law authorizing the comptroller's office to audit charter schools. We are currently examining our options," countered DiNapoli spokeswoman Jennifer Freeman.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Judge-bars-comptroller-audit-of-charter-schools-5319373.php