Two private schools lose accreditation

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Two private schools lose accreditation

By Rosemary Winters

The Salt Lake Tribune

First published May 15 2011 09:17PM

Updated May 16, 2011 01:01AM

Two Utah private schools have lost accreditation after struggling for two years

to secure a permanent home and qualified faculty.

The saga of Locke Academy and the School of Autistic Healing, which share a

campus and principal, highlights the lack of public oversight of private schools

in Utah. The schools are treated like any other free-market enterprise — rising

and falling on their ability to attract and keep customers.

Although state law requires public high schools to be accredited, it is

voluntary for private schools. Most maintain accreditation to ensure they are,

at the very least, matching standards required in public schools.

" Everybody wants students to be able to earn credits that are transferable to

other places and help them move toward graduation, " said Carol Lear, director of

school law and legislation at the State Office of Education. " It's a very

extreme situation or minimal program before [private schools] can't meet

accreditation standards. "

Lear said she gets a phone call every week from a parent concerned about a

private school, but aside from pressing for dropped accreditation or suspending

a teacher's license, the state's hands are tied.

The family » Locke Academy, a mainstream high school, and the special

needs School of Autistic Healing, opened as companion schools two years ago.

They are largely run by the family of Bob , the real estate developer

blamed by many teachers and parents for the August 2008 closure of Utah

Southvalley Community School (USC), a Murray private school formerly known as

Woodland Hills.

had acquired the financially strapped Woodland Hills, for children with

Asperger's syndrome and other cognitive and behavioral impairments, a year

earlier and hoped to revive it, partly through introducing a comprehensive

sports program. But the school suffered rapid teacher turnover —­ at least 50

teachers quit or were fired in one year — and some parents complained about the

new focus on athletics.

At the time, argued he had kept the school from closing and lost his own

money in the process. In March 2009, he filed for bankruptcy, leaving behind

$6.5 million in debts both from his real estate ventures and USC. The Utah

Office of Debt Collection reports there are still 30 outstanding cases for

unpaid wages to school employees.

No teachers at Locke Academy or the School of Autistic Healing have filed

wage claims with the Utah Labor Commission.

has a back-stage role at the private schools, where he is a volunteer

basketball, football and soccer coach. Other family members also are unpaid

volunteers, said in an interview. His sister, Lora Sorensen, is principal

of both schools. His wife, , has taught a photography class, according to

the schools' website, and has helped with transportation, maintenance and school

lunch. Corey , who identifies himself on Facebook as Bob and 's son,

coaches the basketball team.

Corey , who began volunteering at the school a year ago after returning

from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to

the schools' website, is listed as the owner of Locke Academy LLC in its

annual report. The School of Autistic Healing is organized as a nonprofit, with

members of the family holding all four spots for voting trustees,

according to incorporation documents that were updated in February.

" There's kids who need us, and we're there for them. And we do it for free, " Bob

said. " We do it because we love helping people. That's the way we were

raised. "