School board chairman did not disclose position with proposed charter school to fellow board members

In an interview with WECT, New Hanover County Board of Education member Lisa Estep expressed concerns about a proposed charter school's claims that New Hanover County's school bus system would be used to transport students. While charter schools can contract with school systems to use their buses, Estep said school board members were not aware of any negotiations on the issue.  The assumption was that someone was negotiating a significant use of school system resources without the knowledge of school board members. The WECT article states that according to “school leaders” only general conversations have taken place.

A visit to the charter school’s website, youngwomenleading.org , showed that Estep’s concerns had merit. What Estep apparently didn't know at the time of the interview, and what was not told to WECT by “school leadership," was that New Hanover County School Board Chairman Don Hayes is on the Board of Directors of the proposed school. According to officials, Hayes had not disclosed his involvement with the charter school to board members.

Young Women Leading Board of Directors Webpage Capture