Prime Time Drama
Deion Sanders' Prime Prep Academy faces closure at hands of state
Prime Prep Academy has packed more drama into its first two years of existence than most schools endure in a lifetime. Now, it appears the charter school founded by Deion Sanders may be coming to a similarly tumultuous end.
On July 15, the Texas Education Agency informed Prime Prep that it intended to revoke the school's charter due to financial violations related to $45,000 worth of charges to the school-lunch program. If completed, that process would shut down the school.
"We will appeal immediately," Sanders said on Twitter, a platform he frequently employs to sound off on Prime Prep news.
It's been less than a year since Sanders himself was fired (and then rehired) from his namesake school. Even during that time, however, Sanders never wavered in his support of Prime Prep.
"We will fight this like we have all the other battles that we've faced. 100 percent graduation rate two years straight and 15 scholarships awarded ... in no form or fashion has me or my administration done any wrong regarding feeding or educating our students. TRUTH," Sanders tweeted.
He blames his co-founder, D.L. Wallace, for all the ills that have befallen the school.
My former Co-Founder DL Wallace was a Crook and Heartless and we are still suffering from his Devilish ways. TEA informed PrimePrep.
— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) July 15, 2014Since parting ways with Wallace, Prime Prep has hired a new superintendent Ron Price, who told the Dallas Morning News he would appeal the TEA's recommendation before the July 30 deadline. Meanwhile, Sanders has offered an unconventional way to deal with the $45,000 discrepancy in the school's lunch program.
I will pay the 45,000 myself to right DL Wallace wrong to the state if they will accept it. Don't punish our kids for this Fool. Truth
— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) July 15, 2014