EASTON, Pa. — The chief operating officer of Easton Arts Academy Elementary Charter School is under investigation. That's according to Charter School Board President Bridget Masterson, who said Mohamed Hagag has been placed on administrative leave.
Although Hagag’s current title is COO, he had been operating as the school’s acting CEO since the previous CEO, Chadwick Antonio, left in December. The school’s current chief executive, Paul Hunter, is the institution’s third since it opened in 2017. Hunter started in his role last month.
- Easton Arts Academy Elementary's COO is under investigation
- The school won't say for what he is facing scrutiny
- He was formerly the acting CEO until last month
Masterson would not say if it was a criminal probe or if it was being done in-house or through an outside investigator. Hagag did not reply to a message sent to his work email.
The Northampton County District Attorney’s Office said it was unaware of any review of Hagag. A message left for the Easton chief of police received no reply.
The charter school opened in 2017 serving kindergarten through fifth grade at 30 N. Fourth St. The school is privately managed but financed with public funds.
"We are trying to remarket ourselves, rebrand.”Bridget Masterson, school board president of the Easton Arts Academy Elementary Charter School
Leadership and enrollment issues
The school was originally planned to have capacity for about 400 students. Masterson said student enrollment has dropped to about 250 from a peak of 350 to 400 students.
“It is a big drop,” Masterson said. "We are trying to re-market ourselves, re-brand.”
Masterson blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for students leaving after schools had to close and pivot to online learning. But the school has also seen more than its share of controversies and high rates of administrative turnover.
Not only has the Easton charter school gone through three CEOs, but it's also had seven principals. Current Principal Charles Bomboy Jr. and Assistant Principal Yu Kai Cheung were both hired in January.
Easton Arts also settled a lawsuit last year with a principal who alleged grade-rigging. And a 2020 audit discovered the Arts Academy paid $570,000 for internet services it never received.
Charter renewed
The Easton Area School District recently approved the Arts Academy’s charter renewal. School Board President Meg Sayago said she was unaware the academy’s COO was under investigation.
Sayago said the board included many new provisions before approving the renewal because the charter school had not been complying with previous requirements, such as having at least six board members.
“I did indicate publicly that I wanted to see the full complement of board members by the time of the beginning of this upcoming school year, you know, a number of other reporting requirements that are enumerated in the charter, as well,” she said.
Other rules in the charter agreement include competitive bidding for services, submitting to annual audits and giving the district copies of its monthly financial statements. The Arts Academy also must provide certain documents to the district, including grading rubrics, a staff retention plan, all teacher teaching credentials and all lawsuits and grievances against the school.
Masterson said she believes the school is now headed in the right direction.
“We have found a great CEO who has the same vision as the board, has the full board support, has the experience to take the charter school from its beginnings, into the next phase where we are going to be an arts-integrated curriculum and arts-integrated academy,” she said.
“So there's a lot more active academic and curriculum to be adjusted, and I think it's going to enhance the teachers’ skill sets and I think they're going to be excited.”
The school is facing about a $300,000 deficit for the next fiscal year, Masterson said, and has had to reduce some staff, including the transportation coordinator and a security officer.
