Yuyun Lusiyani
A ProPublica investigation has revealed a burgeoning crisis in American education: the rapid proliferation of private schools, heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars, operating with astonishingly minimal state oversight. This unchecked growth has created a landscape where individuals with histories of sexual abuse or financial misconduct can easily open and run educational institutions, often with public funds, while critical safeguards for student safety and academic accountability are glaringly absent. The investigation highlights a systemic failure across numerous states to regulate who operates these schools, how they manage public money, and whether they provide adequate educational environments, contrasting sharply with the stringent accountability imposed on public school systems.
The Unregulated Landscape: A National Trend
Over the past decade, a significant shift has occurred in the American educational paradigm, driven by a long-standing conservative objective to diminish the role of public schools and promote privatization. This ambition has materialized into a surge in private school funding programs, particularly amplified since the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, approximately 30 states have adopted some form of program allowing families to utilize public money for private school tuition, a movement that has seen more than 1.5 million students participating, according to EdChoice, a prominent advocacy group for such initiatives. This number is projected to climb further, bolstered by a federal tax-credit program enacted under President Donald Trump, marking the first-ever federal plan to fund K-12 private schools.
ProPublica’s analysis of private school directories and funding data from 13 states, representing a diverse cross-section of the country, paints a stark picture of this expansion. In just the last five years, these states have seen the listing of at least 1,500 more private schools, bringing the total to over 9,600. This data offers a rare glimpse into a growth catalyzed by supportive legislatures and substantial government funding, occurring concurrently with public school districts experiencing student attrition and, in some cases, closures. When public funding becomes available, a vast majority of private schools readily embrace it. In several states, public funds now subsidize all or nearly all students in some private institutions. For example, in Iowa, the third year of its voucher program saw an astonishing 99% of all private school students paying tuition with public dollars.
This rapid expansion is not merely statistical; it has profound implications for the integrity of the educational system. States are increasingly opting out of closely regulating the operators of these schools or overseeing student safety and academic achievement. The backgrounds of school founders and employees, which would be subject to intense scrutiny in a public school setting, often simply do not matter in this new private school environment.
Case Study: Florida’s Regulatory Vacuum
Florida stands as a striking example of a state that actively disavows oversight of its private school sector. The Florida Department of Education explicitly states, "The Florida Department of Education does not have jurisdiction over private schools. Legislative intent not to regulate, control, approve, or accredit private educational institutions, churches, their ministries, religious instruction, freedoms, or rites, is explicit." This policy, championed by proponents of "educational freedom" like Governor Ron DeSantis, has fostered an environment ripe for exploitation and has directly led to documented instances where individuals with severe past misconduct have re-entered the educational field. When contacted for this investigation, Governor DeSantis’s office offered no comment, referring reporters to the Florida Department of Education, which in turn highlighted its requirement for background screenings – a measure that has proven insufficient in preventing problematic individuals from operating schools.
Tara Salute: A Conviction, Then a Fresh Start
One of the most disturbing cases uncovered by the investigation involves Tara Salute. A decade ago, in 2015, the state of Florida permanently stripped Salute of her teaching license following her prosecution for the sexual abuse of a 16-year-old boy. Despite this grave history, Salute seamlessly opened a private school, Crystal River Learning Academy, in Florida last year. Her name and photograph were prominently featured on the school’s website, and details of her past case were readily accessible through a simple online search.
The chronology of Salute’s journey back into education is alarming. In 2012, while serving as vice president of the local Little League and having recently taught elementary school, the then-40-year-old Salute was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor after an incident involving her son’s friend. She subsequently pleaded no contest to a lesser felony charge of child abuse, served approximately 18 months of probation, and saw her formal conviction "withheld" – a form of leniency in Florida.
The public exposure of Salute’s past came not from state regulators, but from a retired detective, Kat Powers. Powers, recognizing Salute, initially posted on Facebook under a pseudonym, sharing screenshots of court records, Salute’s mug shot, and photos of her new school. The post quickly went viral within the community, drawing the attention of local media.
Following this public outcry and media coverage, the Florida Department of Education did take limited action, revoking Crystal River Learning Academy’s eligibility for state scholarship money. The department cited the school’s failure to register with the state as a private school and Salute’s fraudulent act of uploading someone else’s teaching certificate during her application process. At that point, the school had only received $150 in state funds for a curriculum packet. While the department cited this revocation as evidence of its oversight, it failed to provide a direct answer when asked how Salute was permitted to run a school in Florida despite her past and non-registration. As of the investigation, Crystal River Learning Academy continues to operate, advertising its tuition ($12,000 for middle and high school students) and providing information on state scholarships, demonstrating the profound limitations of Florida’s regulatory framework.
Lisa Helton: From Financial Misconduct to Private School Entrepreneur
Another egregious case involves Lisa Helton, formerly Lisa Hamm, who had been fired as superintendent of the Cincinnati College Preparatory Academy charter school in Ohio following felony charges related to the misuse of public funds. State audits alleged that Hamm misspent public money for years, financing extravagant staff development trips, luxury arena suites for student attendance at concerts (Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Cirque du Soleil), Nutrisystem meals for staff, theater tickets, and even dry cleaning.
In 2013, Hamm and the school’s treasurer were indicted on 26 felony counts. She accepted a conviction on three counts of unauthorized use of property, maintaining her innocence but avoiding prison. In 2014, then-Ohio Auditor Dave Yost declared that the court’s decision would "prevent her from ever stealing from students again," and the state permanently revoked her educator license.
Defying this professional ban, Hamm moved to Tampa, Florida, changed her name to Helton, and sought a Florida educator license. Despite being aware of the misconduct findings in Ohio, Florida granted her a temporary license, which has since expired. In 2022, Helton founded American Education International, initially planning to enroll international students for online English learning and American high school diplomas. However, she quickly pivoted to offer in-person teaching two days a week for homeschool students out of a sleek coworking space. Her school was approved to participate in Florida’s voucher-like program as a tutoring service.
Over three years, Helton’s business collected $291,165 in public scholarship funds. Step Up For Students, the nonprofit managing scholarship distribution in Florida, stated it was unaware of Helton’s Ohio troubles, adding that Florida authorities had not issued any determination prohibiting her from operating the school. Helton, who holds a doctorate in education, dismissed the Ohio audits as a "false narrative," claiming she took a plea deal due to emotional and financial exhaustion. She stated her case was "erased after so many years" through expungement, which can occur for certain nonviolent cases in Ohio. She asserted her competence and trustworthiness, ironically adding, "The concern is not me. It’s people running schools with no educational background."
Beyond Florida: A Systemic National Challenge
The issues unearthed in Florida are not isolated incidents but symptomatic of a broader national challenge. Many states, driven by varying political ideologies and economic considerations, are embracing private school expansion without establishing commensurate regulatory frameworks.
Arizona’s Hands-Off Approach: In Arizona, for instance, state law explicitly "prohibits our department from a role overseeing private schools." This regulatory void allowed the state’s top education official in 2024 to laud former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, who served time in prison for rape, for his involvement in launching a private school bearing his name, calling Tyson "a champion of education." The Tyson Transformational Technologies Academy in Phoenix, operating in a strip mall, is part of a chain founded by former MMA fighter Daniel Puder, targeting foster, unhoused, or expelled students. Tyson lent his name for $1 a year, appearing at ceremonies and giving motivational speeches. For fiscal year 2025, the state of Arizona paid the school $231,973 in public funds. Puder, who himself lacked a college degree, now oversees ten schools across Florida, West Virginia, and Arizona, with ambitious plans for further expansion, even seeking investors through webinars featuring Mike Tyson.
Arkansas’s Troubling Experience: Arkansas, since allowing students to receive approximately $7,000 annually for tuition three years ago, has seen about 120 new private schools open. ProPublica previously detailed the consequences of this rapid growth and "meager oversight," including a school where students were subjected to menial labor and violence, leading to the owner’s felony conviction for permitting child abuse. Despite this, the school temporarily stopped, but then remained eligible for state money, underscoring the persistent lack of accountability.
Iowa’s Public-Funding Dominance: The situation in Iowa, where public funds subsidized 99% of all private school students in the past year, illustrates how heavily reliant these "private" institutions can become on taxpayer money, blurring the lines between public and private accountability without adopting the corresponding regulatory burden.
West Virginia’s Legislative Battle: The state of West Virginia, despite having fewer school-age students than Chicago Public Schools, has gained about 40 new private schools. The president of the West Virginia Board of Education, Paul Hardesty, a critic of the state’s permissive regulations, starkly contrasted the 1,300-page codebook governing public education with the few rules for private and home schools that "will fit on an index card." Earlier this year, a handful of West Virginia legislators attempted to introduce "bumpers" to safeguard public funds, including requirements for standardized testing and reporting results. These proposals failed, and the supporting legislators were subsequently ousted in primary elections, rebuked by the pro-voucher governor and voters aligned with his stance.
The Diverse and Unconventional World of Private Schools
The image of private schools as elite academies with manicured campuses and traditional uniforms is increasingly outdated. Douglas Harris, a Tulane University economist studying voucher programs, notes that "They’re all over the place and sometimes in places you don’t even realize — they’re not even advertised." The recent expansion has seen private schools open in highly unconventional locations: farms, barns, addiction treatment centers, co-working spaces, people’s homes, and even parks. A West Virginia family opened a school at their family fun center, adjacent to a waterpark, mini-golf course, and go-kart track. Tiny new Christian schools are proliferating, often operating in Sunday school spaces. Simultaneously, "fly-by-night" schools are emerging, established by profiteers and individuals with problematic pasts or no educational experience whatsoever.
The financial allure is undeniable. While public schools still educate the majority of American students and receive the largest share of funding, EdChoice estimated that states allocated $10.6 billion to private school programs last year alone – a 29% increase over the previous year. One Michigan-based company, launched to encourage churches to tap into these public funds, provocatively refers to these programs in its promotional videos as "God’s new gold mine."
Exclusion and Discrimination: A Hidden Cost of "Choice"
Beyond concerns about operator backgrounds and financial accountability, the expansion of unregulated private schools introduces other significant challenges, particularly regarding equity and access. Unlike public schools, private institutions are not obligated to admit all students. This freedom allows them to adopt policies, including discriminatory admissions practices, that public schools cannot.
It is common for religious private schools, both new and established, to refuse admission to or expel students who identify as gay, condone homosexuality, or have gay parents. Many explicitly state their right to "discriminate on the basis of religion in accordance with our Statement of Faith." Students with disabilities are frequently declined enrollment, effectively denying them the "educational freedom" touted by politicians. Shockingly, an Alabama school that opened last fall announced it would expel students diagnosed with HIV, gonorrhea, or syphilis. Furthermore, while corporal punishment is outlawed in public schools in some states, several private schools in Ohio and Virginia still permit paddling as a disciplinary measure.
Advocates for private school voucher programs often argue against imposing stringent regulations on these schools, fearing that "strings attached" to public money would deter many from participating. Patrick Wolf, a University of Arkansas researcher who often highlights the benefits of these systems, stated, "You try to not take the private school system and make it the public school system. Parents are looking for an alternative. They’re looking for something that operates differently and, they hope, serves their child better." However, this perspective overlooks the fundamental difference in accountability when public funds are involved. Even when every student’s tuition is paid with public money, these schools operate without the same financial transparency, curriculum oversight, or student achievement reporting required of public schools.
Implications and Future Outlook
The rapid and largely unregulated growth of private schools, fueled by taxpayer dollars, presents profound implications for the future of American education. It exacerbates the challenges faced by public schools, which continue to lose students and resources, while creating an opaque system where student safety, educational quality, and financial accountability are often compromised. The cases of Tara Salute and Lisa Helton in Florida are not anomalies but stark illustrations of a systemic vulnerability that allows individuals with documented histories of serious misconduct to operate schools and receive public funds with minimal, if any, effective oversight.
The tension between "educational freedom" and public accountability remains at the core of this debate. While parental choice is a powerful argument, the current regulatory vacuum raises critical questions about the responsibility of states to safeguard public funds and protect all students, especially when their education is funded by the collective taxpayer. As the landscape of K-12 education continues to shift, the need for robust and consistent oversight of all schools receiving public money – irrespective of their private status – becomes increasingly urgent to ensure that the expansion of "choice" does not come at the cost of safety, quality, and equity. The burden often falls to vigilant citizens, journalists, and local authorities to expose wrongdoing in a system that, by design, largely avoids state scrutiny.
Joko Widodo
admin
Nila Kartika Wati
Lina Irawan
Eva Lovia