PHOENIX (AP) — A former charter school principal in Arizona has pleaded guilty to participating in a $2.5 million scheme to inflate enrollment at the now-closed Bradley Academy of Excellence.
Former Goodyear school principal Harold Cadiz was charged with two counts of felony theft and faces up to 12 and a half years in prison for his role in falsifying student enrollment figures.
Arizona public schools are funded based on the number of students, meaning each additional student brings more tax dollars.
The school closed in January 2018 ahead of an audit from the state education department.
Cadiz is scheduled for sentencing March 27.
