One of New Jersey’s most powerful lawmakers is calling on the state Department of Education to open a formal investigation into a charter school network accused of nepotism and paying its executives what have been described as “astonishing” salaries.
State Sen. Vin Gopal, D-Monmouth, who also serves as chairman of the Senate Education Committee, called for the inquiry in a letter sent Wednesday to acting state Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer and obtained by NJ Advance Media.
In the letter, Gopal cited an NJ Advance Media investigation from last week that showed executives from College Achieve Public Schools (CAPS) to be the highest paid charter school employees in the state, as well as nepotism and ethics concerns at one institution.
“As an operator of public charter schools, CAPS regularly receives considerable funding from the state and it is imperative that the state take immediate steps to provide transparency and, if necessary, accountability around how those public dollars are being spent,” Gopal said in the letter.
“We cannot tolerate any mismanagement of money intended to promote student success,” Gopal added. “I ask that the Department act swiftly to respond to the recent reports around CAPS.”
The state Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The movement comes a week after state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Bergen, and state Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, said the charter network should be required to answer questions about how its revenue, which originates through taxpayer dollars, is being spent, among other inquiries.
“I’m calling upon the state Department of Education to call in the leadership of this school district and have them open their books to see what the public money is being used for, and then make a recommendation to the legislature,” Sarlo said. “Clearly the overhead and salaries are outrageous.”
In the letter, Gopal also said he would “begin taking steps to hold a potential hearing on charter schools in New Jersey in the near future.”
CAPS founder and CEO Michael Piscal earned a base salary of $444,714 and $252,814 in deferred compensation and retirement benefits, according to tax forms filed by the organization in 2023. Meanwhile, Gemar Mills, the executive director of College Achieve Paterson, earned $433,734 in total compensation, and Jodi McInerney, the executive director of College Achieve Asbury Park, earned $323,245 in total compensation, according to tax forms. Three other CAPS officials earned more than $209,000 in total compensation, tax forms show.
College Achieve Asbury Park also was accused of nepotism and ethics violations by hiring McInerney’s husband and mother as principal and interventionist at the school.
CAPS denied any nepotism or ethics violations, saying the principal job was posted publicly and the interim Monmouth County superintendent signed off on both hires.
The network also said that because Piscal, Mills and McInerney are not traditional public school employees eligible for the state pension or benefits, CAPS pays compensation they said is comparable to other senior public education employees in New Jersey. Piscal, Mills, McInerney and other senior executives work for College Achieve Public Schools, Inc., a charter management organization (CMO) that oversees the schools in the network.
“I’m committed to supporting a Department investigation into the network however I can, and stand ready to work with all of the relevant stakeholders to ensure that our students aren’t being left behind financially,” Gopal said.
All of this followed an initial NJ Advance Media report showing that College Achieve Asbury Park’s varsity basketball team — in its first season of existence — utilized a loophole that allows for students to attend a charter school outside the town in which they live if the charter school is not at full enrollment.
College Achieve packed its roster with 11 elite transfers from across New Jersey, prompting the state athletic association and even lawmakers to propose an overhaul of state rules and regulations.
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Matthew Stanmyre may be reached atmstanmyre@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @MattStanmyre. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
