AUSTIN, Texas — Some employees of IDEA Public Schools have been placed on paid administrative leave due to incomplete records.
The charter school system said Monday afternoon that during an audit last week, its human resources team identified some incomplete employee records in the State of Texas' systems for clearing new hires. IDEA called the issue an administrative error and said it was "not the fault of the affected employees."
IDEA Public Schools said it has implemented "swift and proactive" measures to resolve any inconsistencies, including reaching out to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Working with the TEA, IDEA said its review of the hiring process for background checks hasn't indicated any team member was ineligible to work there.
However, all IDEA team members with incomplete records have been placed on paid administrative leave for the time being. They will return to work when IDEA has confirmed clearance by the state's systems.
A teacher who didn't want to be identified told KVUE she believes at least 75 staff members are impacted.
"We’re getting paid, but it’s the end of the year," she said. "We have testing ... We have state testing. There are some campuses where their entire math department is gone, and this week is math state testing."
The teacher said she has been at the school for more than five years. In March, she gave a new fingerprint that she was told the system could not find.
"Where did the first fingerprints go?" she said. "Where did the second ones go that I just did? And now I have to go do a third one."
With only four weeks of school left, the teacher said it's unclear if the affected employees will be cleared by the state in time to see their students before the year ends.
"We regret this temporary disruption while we comply with Texas law to ensure a safe and secure environment for our students, families, and staff," IDEA Public Schools said in a statement.
This situation comes a little more than a month after the TEA appointed two conservators to IDEA Public Schools following an investigation that began in 2021. The investigation started after multiple allegations against IDEA of financial and operational impropriety.
IDEA Public Schools is the largest network of charter schools in Texas.