Jackson Jambalaya

oh what a deadly web we weave...

Wow, talk about some Bad News

I was one of those employees that had an issue with my 401(k). To be fair, the issues arose after Anne McGrew was arrested and subsequently left the company. I never thought anything nefarious was going on, but instead it was a matter of the chaos that ensued after leadership was arrested. All of my contributions were caught up on and made.

Nothing more than Shad piggy backing on the Fed indictment. It tells me some of the rumors coming out of the DA’s office are true in that the state case has big problems.

Let’s wait until this goes to trial. Lots of responsibility by state officials that hasn’t been addressed.

11:05 wins the prize

She only replaced the money for those who figured out her scam and brought it to her attention. There are people out there who still don't know she scammed them and haven't gotten their money back. She hasn't been paying payroll taxes either BTW.

Too bad for them that they were born white, because otherwise they would have received a Hinds County blessing.

This is very news worthy.

Upon entering the front gate, a repetitive playing of the first line of Frank's "New York, New York" might be cute

The teachers and headmaster have not been paid for several pay periods. They want to ensure the students get to complete the school year but, by gosh, are expected to work for free. This has been going on for over a year! I have no affiliation with the school. My friend is a teacher and I see her struggling financially and trying to keep her household together until school ends and she can find other employment. I've heard Nancy and Zach are collecting unemployment. If that's true, WTF?

@3:13 your comments are total BS. It’s in matters like these that comments such as this and others are very dangerous. Those on this Board that claim to know what’s really going on have no clue and those that admit they have no clue comment anyway. We can all hide behind anonymity and say things we otherwise wouldn’t say to someone face to face.

" I've heard Nancy and Zach are collecting unemployment. If that's true, WTF? "

Hell, everyone is collecting unemployment these days.
Why not let these two ?

The Employment Security Department won't even cut off my former employees that have refused to return to work.

I've reported this, and they ( MDES) will not return my calls.

Let Nancy and Zach draw unemployment.

It won't effect my unemployment tax rate after July.
I'm out of Misissippi starting August 1st.

Really? I have an email the acting headmaster sent to the staff last week that says otherwise.

I’m shocked (and extremely thankful) that New Summit is still open. I pray it remains so. It’s an amazing resource for students of all kinds and has been for a long time. I say let the legal side of this mess run its course and keep the school out of the fray as much as possible. There are many families and students who desperately need New Summit.

@3:47 if you know so much why don’t you clue us in? Or are you in on the scam too?

I thought they seemed like nice people but I guess they are FAKE NEWS!

No News is good News

This is why I stopped trusting the News a long time ago.

Anytime I see the News on tv, I just switch it to sports.

Please, I am begging you, leave this school alone, and let them continue to serve these children and families who have special needs and learning differences. You don't know desperation until you've been faced with the daunting task of raising a handicapped child. New Summit is NOT your what you all envision as your "typical, spoiled-kids," private school. If you were ever on campus for less than five minutes, you would know that.

Just more of Feel Bryant's legacy as one of the most incompetent governors in our state's history where the bar was already very low.

Didn't Phil save Jackson when he was a Deputy and the Levy broke during the Easter Flood?

Too bad the school will be closing its doors for good next Friday. I hope the News are proud of the legacy they left behind in their wake. Too bad Nancy turned down the many offers she had to buy the school and subsequently save it because she would rather the ship go down with her. All because of self serving greed.

Yep, UMC tried to buy the Autism school, too. She turned that down, too. If she can’t have it then nobody can. I’m still trying to decide if Zach is as evil as his mom or if his decisions are just the product of being raised by a narcissist, single mom. 🤔

Closing the school next Friday and haven’t told their staff or parents. Who does that?! Just sucks everyone and everything dry until the very end...who?

The students. The parents. Once again left on the sideline to wait for another opportunity. Only hoping the opportunity comes before their child ages out. Lifelong friendships formed that wouldn’t have without NSS. These teachers have stuck out an impossible situation. Staff and teachers who have slowly trickled out only because they couldn’t pass up an opportunity at hand. I can’t imagine the gut wrenching pain as each teacher and staff member walked out of that building for the last time. Not out of choice but out of necessity.

Nancy and Zach did something right. They created a place for you’re not-so-typical student and parents to feel safe. A place to belong. A school where every student was celebrated for his or her uniqueness. A clinical-based school for children with Autism that gave hope to parents. A school where parents were given the understanding, the support and the voice to fight for their children. An environment where the staff truly loved their job. NSS might be getting ready to close the doors next week but let’s not let the ugly the News we’re playing behind the scenes overshadow the beauty that is in NSS!!

#ClosingTheDoors #Leaked #PrayForNSS

Dont forget the Magnolia Speech school offer.

Or the Jackson Prep offer..

Someone needs to make sure the real story gets told. Nancy shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind the false narrative that she has done everything she can to keep this school open. She is evil, vindictive, scum of the earth. My heart breaks for the kids, families and staff. The truth is that the amazing NSS staff has endured a year of lies and downright abuse, for the kids. Nancy has stayed safely in her bubble, proclaiming her innocence. She has done nothing but sabotage any possible chance the school had at being saved. Those offers and what she did can be verified as facts. The parents and staff have fought tooth and nail to keep this place going, and will now get rewarded with yet another slap in the face: the doors are closing next Friday, but they don’t even have the common decency to let the staff or parents know. Good job Nancy. I hope you go to sleep prison knowing we see you for who you really are.

Uh huh, @8:03 has fallen off the wagon again.

Glad the real story is finally coming out. Nancy is an absolute sociopath who can turn the charm on and off and play the victim on demand. She and Zach have turned down offer after offer to save this wonderful school because every offer was countered with demands that King Baby Zach continue as director of the school with a half-million dollar salary to fund his million dollar home in Bridgewater that was paid for with welfare money. That guy hasn't had the balls to show up and face "his staff" for over a year but he and mommy continue to siphon money away from those poor kids and teachers to keep up his ridiculous lifestyle.

What Nancy, Zach and Roy Balentine have done to these kids, parents and teachers is beyond disgusting. All any of these folks have asked for is the truth and those three are incapable of any amount of decency, not even at the end.

What story is finally coming out? I am anxious to see how all this pans out, but all that appears here is a bunch of anonymous ramblings which really tell us nothing at all. Such is JJ, though. I am sure Anna Wolfe is hot on the trail and will circulate Shad's, I mean her thoughts on the subject soon.

@8:03 - You hit the nail on the head! Between not know when we will be paid, to being paid late, or even being asked to hold our checks till a later date. The stress for the staff is unbearable. Not to mention ZERO guidance on today. Much less the future.

As an employee of NSS I can assure you we HAVEN'T been paid what we are owed. It's been difficult. What keeps us going are these children. Also as a parent of a dyslexic child this is the only place where she feels at home.The staff is brokenhearted that we have been fooled. We've seen some the paperwork. It's not a joke. Greed kept us from being paid, leaves our precious families and students in turmoil. Balentine treats the staff with complete disrespect. If it wasn't for our Headmaster, Mr. Nobles and Dr. Sutton fighting so hard for us who knows what would have happened earllier to us? Many of us are forced to look for other jobs. We never wanted to leave our wonderful school. People caused this issue not NSS directly. Instead of being negative, how about praying for the students, family, and staff. By the way, once again Balentine failed us. We had to clue next Friday is our last day. The staff discovered this information today due to your information We had a parent, yes a caring parent, e-mail us to inform us last week that there was no money to pay us. What?! A parent knows before the staff? We are extremely thankful for our caring parents.

The real story does need to be told.

If the comments on this site weren’t so full of hate and vitriol, they would almost be funny. Sadly, for all those involved, there is nothing funny about this situation.

I am a New Summit parent and one of those involved in the recently organized parent groups who have been trying to figure out ways to save New Summit. I have a long history with New Summit. Generally, these parent groups and the public have absolutely no idea the extraordinary measures that have been undertaken to ensure that New Summit made it through this school year. The same individuals who have been degraded and crucified on this site are the same people who have singlehandedly made every effort to keep the school open this year and in a position to succeed in the future. There is no doubt this school year at New Summit has been a tough one. The fact that the school has been able to stay open this year alone is a blessing. Credit for keeping the school afloat financially during this year goes to a very small group of individuals. Yes, the teachers and staff have endured an extraordinary school year, and should be commended for their efforts. Many people have gone above and beyond in trying to salvage the school year for the students and their families. Great teachers and staff have long been the norm at New Summit and this year is no different. Certainly, credit for salvaging this school year doesn’t go to those who continue to spread misinformation or those who continue to play politics with this situation. The misinformation and anonymous personal attacks repeated over and over on this site and others do nothing but further ensure that New Summit’s future is bleaker and bleaker.

There have been no legitimate offers made for the purchase or acquisition New Summit. None. That is a fact. Numerous conversations and meetings have been had and some have been more in depth than others. All of these conversations have been spearheaded by school leadership and those individuals who genuinely desire to see the school survive for years to some. It remains to be seen if the school will make it long-term. But rest assured there are many who absolutely want to ensure this for the sake of the children and families who rely on New Summit.

@ 2:57.....Nancy, is that you?

What you call hate an vitriol, most would call the truth. I hate that the truth has upset you so much. No there is nothing funny about this situation. That is perhaps one of the only accurate points in your entire response. I would love to know how you are privy to these "extraordinary measures" as you call them. "Degraded and crucified"? It is called having to answer for your mistakes. No one is dragging them needlessly through the mud. No one is even insinuating that New Summit, the school, is anything less than a wonderful place. It is a refuge to so many.

To your point that the credit of keeping the school afloat goes to a very small group of individuals... do you mean just the News? Or the News and Mr. Balentine? You obviously do not mean the exceptional staff and other parents (although I suspect you are not, in fact, a parent). Kind of you to point out that it has been an "extraordinary school year", but the last time a checked, most people still need a paycheck. Further, most people need to be able to have some degree of faith in their leadership.

I wonder how it is that you can be so certain that all of this is "misinformation"? Clearly you are not very closely involved with the reality that is occurring daily at New Summit, or you would not be so misinformed yourself. But, yes, please continue to blame it on the staff, or those who speak out, with your thinly veiled jabs.

Lastly, I am curious as to what you constitute as a "legitimate" offer. Surely ANY offer that would save the school would be considered legitimate? Are you denying that any offers were made, or simply the legitimacy of these offers? (I am reading your use of the word legitimate to mean ones that have a high enough price tag).

New Summit is an extraordinary place IN SPITE of what the News and others have done. THAT is what speaks to the credit of the staff and parents involved. I don't think a single person on here, or anywhere, has implied that the school should close. I also cannot think of anyone who would want it to close.

Dear, it appears to me that it is you who are misinformed. Perhaps you should do some fact checking and reassess.

@ 2:57..
You said, "Generally, these parent groups and the public have absolutely no idea the extraordinary measures that have been undertaken to ensure that New Summit made it through this school year."

I am curious how is it that you, as a member of this parent group are singularly aware of what is going on behind the scenes? It seems that you are completely out of touch with the facts of the matter.

Should be fun at work tomorrow

@2:57 not crazy enough to be Nancy, too well-constructed to be Zach, it must be Jess

BRAVO! @5:24pm! Bravo!!!

Damn, I stopped by to get a Jackson water update and stumbled on this little thread. Some of you need a bit more Jesus in your lives. Start with James 4:11-12.

Not a bad comment. Take out third, fourth, and fifth sentences and it goes through

@ 2:57 -- Um... the administration came out and announced to the staff that UMMC had made an offer to buy Spectrum Academy?? In fact, they did this not long after telling all of the Spectrum staff they were closing the doors and that they were laid off. Then they miraculously had a solution! An offer from UMMC (that they conveniently announced to the ENTIRE STAFF the day before Thanksgiving break). So, are you saying that was a lie? Guess what? The day Spectrum staff returned from said break, they were told it was their last day. The deal had "fallen through". I don't know about you, but I am sensing a pattern here. In the end, Nancy got greedy and decide to demand they pay her a large sum instead of just taking it over.

Nancy has been offered the chance at not one, but two conservatorships, but has declined both.

I also suppose you assume that both Magnolia Speech School and Jackson Prep lied to their own staff about making an offer to buy NSS. Clearly, it is all a big scheme to drag the News through the mud. I am sure that the offer the Little Lighthouse made to purchase the spectrum building was also not legitimate.

The News are greedy, power hungry, narcissists. There have been "legitimate" offers. You are absolutely incorrect in that sentiment. However, none of them gave her the money she wanted, but more importantly, none of them gave her the credit and glory for saving the school. Nancy New would rather take the ship down with her, no matter the cost, than relinquish control and miss out on a potential profit. She has proven that time and time again. But, wait… isn’t this supposed to be about saving the school and “being in it for the children”?

Were you there when she fired the group she hired from Southern Miss to do strategic planning because she couldn't handle the criticizing feedback she got from employees in a survey? Were you there when the investigating agents knocked on people's doors and showed them the falsified paperwork? I am going to go out on a limb and say that is a hard no. Were you there when it was said that if the employees decided they could not work without getting paid, it was their fault because they weren't "in it for the children"? That little gem was courtesy of Mr. Balentine, btw. You, as a parent, obviously were not there when employees found out that their 401k plans had money missing. The "small group" you credit with saving the school must have been focusing so much on saving said school that they forgot to put the money owed into the employees' retirement savings account. You clearly weren't there when the employees were told that New Summit didnt "do 504 plans"... not long before they were indicted for doing just that.

Were you also aware that these magnanimous people ignored a work order that the AC/Heating was broken in the cafeteria at the end of LAST JANUARY. It was finally fixed yesterday. Employees AND STUDENTS have been subjected to working in both freezing and sweltering temperatures because it wasn't a priority for them to spend the money on fixing it until this week when the temperatures rose, and students had recently returned to eating in the cafeteria. Teachers are faced with being laid off and scrambling to find a way to provide for their own families. But of Zach’s children continue to attend JA. (Interesting that he owns a school that his own kids have never attended). He drives a nice new Jeep and lives in his nice house he built in Bridgewater. Parents are left with days to find somewhere for their kids to go. Nancy abused and screamed at her personal staff to the point that they all quit. The News have created such a toxic environment that it is a miracle any learning takes place or that people even show up.

It seems to me that the ONLY people that are in it for the children are the staff and the supportive parents that have gone above and beyond to do what they can to keep this place afloat.
But, hey, what do I know?

Touché 11:01!

Everyone chill, the Bowtie lawyer is gonna save us all.

@5:24... pretty sure that’s not Nancy but you’re close! What a mess greed has caused innocent people! I pray these people are able to find jobs after being tied to NSS.

ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR 11:01

Please, if you have not walked a mile in the staff or parent's shoes of NSS and SA or even a quarter of a mile, please GO SIT DOWN!!!

Zach & Nancy New are MASTER MANIPULATORS. Y'all Zach got some Top 40 award all the while he was stealing money. How many awards has Nancy gotten throughout her years? How can anyone take up for these two at this point?! You don't think we all loved them both? My goodness, it was hard not to. They are literally masterminds. The perfect white collar criminals. And you know this isn't Nancy's first rodeo she just had the lack of technology on her side for YEARS.

I personally know someone who worked within NSS when it was just a single building. That person quit because he/she couldn't get wrapped up in whatever illegal & shady mess she had going on in the 90's. It wasn't something this person could prove but he/she knew there was shady business and false information going out. Come on guys!! You really think over $90 million stolen is really going to end up being all lies?

Per Nancy, and I quote, "It's all lies. None of it's true and one day the real truth will come out. It's just political mess trying to make me and Zach look bad. [insert tears] IT'S SO MEAN. They are just mean. We would never steal anything. I told them they could go scrub-scrub through all of my files. I have nothing to hide. The only thing so far that has been proven is [automatically stop tears] she, points to what was once Anne's office, didn't do her job. Mistakes were made and they were no faults of mine or Zach's"

Oh okay, Nancy, blame the one person who you probably threatened her job with to make her fudge your numbers. Now, poor Anne is going down with your manipulating, sick and twisted self. A single woman with an elderly dad and a sister diagnosed with cancer. What did you promise her? That you would pay whatever it took for her sister to be well? Make sure her dad was provided for? So she trusted you and you manipulated her. [round of applause] Good job, satan! <-- all of this is paragraph are my personal assumptions but I'd love to know exactly how Nancy got Anne twisted into her web of lies and decent.

Has anyone dug into Nancy prior to 2017? I bet there is a lot of stinky dirt to be dug up. Or what about the people who worked closely with her and Zach these past few years and then slowly trickled out before paychecks were bouncing? I bet there is a reason they went from trusting the News to running from them! Wonder what they ended up hearing or seeing that none of us know about?! Hmmm.... [this should get real interesting, real fast!]

I END THIS TO SAY.... NANCY. ZACH. I WILL GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE SCHOOL

READ NEXT COMMENT as it wouldn't all fit.

I END THIS TO SAY.... NANCY. ZACH. I WILL GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE SCHOOL YOU BUILT. FOR THE PLACE YOU GAVE THESE CHILDREN. THE FRIENDSHIPS. THE MEMORIES. THE ABILITY TO BE "NORMAL". A PLACE WHERE THESE CHILDREN COULD BE THEMSELVES WITHOUT ANY APOLOGIES. A PLACE WHERE EACH CHILD WAS CELEBRATED FOR HIS/HER DIFFERENCE. STAFF WHO LOVED THEIR STUDENTS FIERCELY. A PLACE WHERE FAMILY WAS TRULY FORMED.

DAMN IT, YOU CREATED A PLACE WHERE BONDS WERE SO TIGHT THAT YOUR FREAKING STAFF IS STILL PROTECTING YOU. THEY ARE HURT. THEY ARE IN PAIN. THEY ARE SOOOOO MAD. BUT YET THEY ARE STILL STAYING QUIET. THEY ARE STILL PROTECTING YOU. THEY ARE STILL QUESTIONING WHAT THEY KNOW TO BE TRUE BECAUSE EACH ONE OF US (yeah, I said us) LOVED YOU BOTH. WE BELIEVED IN YOU. WE BELIEVED IN YOUR VISION. WE BELIEVED IN WHO WE THOUGHT YOU WERE.

LET ME SAY IT AGAIN FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK....WHO WE THOUGHT YOU WERE.

SO WAY TO GO, YOU CREATED SOMETHING SO BEAUTIFUL. I REMEMBER THE JOY I FELT THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS I WAS AT NEW SUMMIT. THE ATMOSPHERE THESE CHILDREN WERE GIVEN, MAN IT IS STILL BEAUTIFUL TODAY.

But as beautiful of a thing you created, SHAME ON YOU for allowing it to go down in ashes. I took up for you. I had your back for months. FOR MONTHS I FOUGHT WITH YOU. For months I believed in the you I thought you were. HONESTLY, I WOULD STILL BE FIGHTING FOR YOU if you had done the one thing I knew you were going to do. The one thing I knew about the News was their heart. Their integrity. I KNEW THEY WOULD NOT LET NSS DIE WITH THEM. But here we are… 1 WEEK GUYS. 1 WEEK. And everything Nancy spent years building will go down with her and Zach. NANCY. ZACH. If you read one thing on this thread. READ THIS….

YOU LOST YOUR STAFF. YOU LOST YOUR PARENTS. YOU LOST YOUR RESPECT. YOU LOST EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US WHO WERE FIGHTING WITH YOU DESPITE THE ALLEGATIONS UNTIL YOU ALLOWED YOUR GREED AND TRUE COLORS TO SHOW. THE NANCY AND ZACH YOU MANIPULATED US TO BELIEVE YOU WERE WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP EACH ONE OF THE SCHOOLS TO WHOEVER FOR WHATEVER JUST TO MAKE SURE NSS LIVED ON.
WE WOULD HAVE CELEBRATED YOU, NANCY. YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT HERO YOU WANTED EVERYONE TO BELIEVE YOU WERE. WE WOULD HAVE SENT YOU LETTERS AND CHEERED YOU ON FROM YOUR JAIL CELL. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE THE DAY YOU GOT OUT (if you ever got out) OF JAIL CHEERING YOU ON.

IF ONLY YOU HAD ALLOWED NSS & SA LIVE ON WITHOUT YOU…. Was that too much to ask?

Well,well, well, looks like king Roy has spoken, He has apparently announced to the staff that “clearly the school is not closing next Friday” and the teachers will get paid on that day. Remains to be seen… stay tuned!

Well, it seems as though the flood gates have opened, I guess King Baby Zach can now be the little boy with his finger in the dam.

Hold on. I need some popcorn then I will get caught up

I have trouble reading so many inaccurate comments made about the New’s and NSS. The trial has now been pushed to September. Is baby Shad hoping to break Dr. New? Is he still trying to protect Phil Crooked Bryant? Any credibility baby Shad may have had, he loses in protecting his daddy mentor.
Dr. New wanted to sell the school, but wanted to be sure ALL the faculty, cafeteria staff, and custodians kept their jobs.
1000 of students were saved because of New Summit. The biggest loss is with the kids.

@7:32 pm
I would say that is a win for the good guys!!
💚🤜🏼🤛🏿🤍🤜🏾🤛🏼💙🤜🏻🤛🏽💚

You have to wonder....... If the case against them is strong, why haven't they taken them to court yet??? A year and four months already since Shad came out with guns blazing????

@11:04 by ALL staff, do you mean Zach and his fix figure salary? Were you aware that last summer, while the school was financially drowning, she gave one of her assistants a pay cut, but gave Zach a raise because he “deserved it for all of his hard work.”

Gosh. What a selfless woman!

The blatant lies being thrown around regarding this topic and most “facts” related to it are astonishing.

9:58, if you think all the info on here are lies, I want some of what your smoking! Living in this nightmare is brutal!

Who receives the rent money from the church who uses NSS every week? The school or the News???

@3:06 Avalon Holdings. Aka the New Family

Does New Summit School have to reimburse the priority re-enrollment money?

@6:15 no. It has always been a non refundable deposit.

I’m amazed at how ready people are to believe someone is guilty even before they’ve had their day in court. I’m amazed that guilty until proven innocent can take on a mob mentality. I’m amazed at the nontruths that have been written here by people who have no clue what they are talking about. This has become a witch hunt to see who can write the most vile and hurtful things. Shame on you all! You are talking about someone’s life, their life’s work, their family. While you sit here and vilify the News at the same time that you praise their school, consider that Dr. New is the person who started the school with a vision toward helping children learn outside of the norm. That wonderful atmosphere of caring and letting each student be special was put in motion by her foresight. Before you are quick to judge, remember she is the one who gave you that wonderful school. Let her have her day in court.

@2:01 That is why this is so heartbreaking. She did have a vision of a school for students who didn't have anywhere else to go. No one is trying to needlessly vilify her, but every single part of this is horrible. There are many that are just as confident in the accuracy of the information here as you are that you are that they have "no clue". How is it that you have a "clue"? If it is based on Dr. New's reputation alone, I suggest that you think again. She has done and built WONDERFUL things. That, unfortunately, is not indicative of how she handles ALL things.

Good people do bad things. Or, rather, people with seemingly good intentions do bad things. She will have her day in court. In the meantime, that wonderful vision you speak of is growing. Fast.

That is why people are so upset. Very few really care whether or not she is innocent or guilty. They just want the school, and that vision, to be able to continue. Perhaps instead of spending energy to take up for her, you spend your energy where it will actually do some good.... help fight to keep the school open.

Every time some issue pops up, the loudest opinions come from those who know the least about it. The thinner the knowledge, the louder the shouting. (If you doubt this, just wait until a head coaching vacancy comes up at State or Ole Miss and see how many insider-wannabes start blustering about private jet sightings at the Oxford airport, or realtors showing houses in Starkville to Jimbo Fisher’s wife, or some other such bar room nonsense.) And if you express the least bit of doubt or skepticism about what they’re saying, they just double down and shout that much louder.
Case in point: 1. The teacher paychecks at New Summit School have been issued all along, nobody’s working at NSS for free. 2. When state monies were pulled from NSS last summer during the COVID crisis, the services to students went on despite the funding shortfall. 3. There have been talks about selling NSS or taking on partners, but no offers have come in. Sure there have been talks, but no offers. That’s not “narcissism,” that’s just the way business works.
But even while the rumor mill operates at full tilt, there are some questions that the gossips don’t seem to ask. Why has this “airtight” case been dragging along for sixteen months? If the case is so strong, why doesn’t the prosecution push hard to take it to trial ASAP? If the case is so strong, so airtight, why is the state now lateraling the ball to the feds? Since public monies were involved, which state officials and/or upper level employees signed off on the allegedly fraudulent expenditures? Is it possible that these same state officials and/or upper level employees not only signed off on the programs for which the expenditures were made, but were in fact the ones who proposed the programs to MCEC to begin with? Why, after sixteen months, have we heard nothing about investigations into these state officials and/or upper level employees? (How about it, Anna Wolfe?)

@ 10:43... If someone hires me to assassinate someone and I do it... I’m still guilty of murder. Just sayin....

As a student so eloquently stated, "It is over. It is done. The END."

@11:06. Yes, but wouldn’t they investigate the people who hired you ???

@6:05

Probably, but that is not who is in question regarding matters that concern NSS. Whether or not others get investigated has little to no bearing on the current state of the school. Your post accuses people of essentially not looking at the right (supposed) criminals, but it is your excuse that is smoke and mirrors. The classic, "look over here... not at what I'm doing" excuse. I personally don't care if someone told them to do it or not. They (supposedly) did it. The end. Saying, "but they told me to" is what I would expect to hear from a preteen child, not responsible adults.

If the auditor's report was even 10% correct, that is roughly 9 million dollars that was "misspent". I am also fairly sure that those "officials" did not direct anyone to file for 504 reimbursements.

As for the time line, welcome to our judicial system. Noting moves quickly. ESPECIALLY not during a pandemic. So your defense that if there was a good case, it would have gone to trial by now, is an incredibly weak one.

Speaking specifically to your points:

1. These checks have not always been on time and there have been several occasions that staff members have been warned that they would not get paid. It is a guessing game each pay period as to whether or not they will be paid. I could say more, but I will leave it at that.

2. Yes. The services have continued. I am sure that the News had to make sacrifices to make the happen, but guess what? So did the staff. The News are inarguably facing a lot, but, again, guess what, that is no one's fault but their own. You don't get extra credit for doing what you are supposed to do. Doing what it takes to keep your own business running is not a heroic act, it is what is expected. We don't give students extra credit for turning their homework in on time.

3. We have heard it over and over and over again. Apparently some people's definitions of offers differ from others. It is convenient that you, and others, only tell partial truths. Let me put it this way, if I were to go on a date with someone and they told me that each of their last relationships failed due to no fault of their own..... I might start to assume that they might be part of the problem. Inability to take any level of accountability is a red flag in my book.

I personally think there’s a whole lot more to this story than any of us know and I’m anxious to see how it plays out. I will say that I don’t buy the story that’s been told the last year plus. I just don’t believe it. So much of it doesn’t make sense. The headlines lead one to believe that the News stole $94m, yet that’s not accurate. But that’s the story that keeps getting repeated over and over. But there are so many unanswered questions that remain.

What about this Christi Webb lady and her nonprofit (Family Resource Center) that received more thank $50m of the $94m? They’re rarely mentioned. I’m curious where they are in this thing.

DHS is reportedly finalizing its internal forensic audit and the Director is already on the record stating that those findings largely contradict the findings of the state’s favorite Certified Fraud Examiner.

The News have apparently conducted their own forensic review as well. Should be interesting.

Phil Bryant clearly has a role in this thing as he’s already been caught lying about the Prevacus deal. I know, shocker right?!

Brett Favre. Teddy DiBiase. Paul Lacoste. This thing is all over the place, yet most of the story is all about the the News and their criminal education empire. I forgot, none of these people knew where the money was coming from right?

On top of all that word out of the DA’s office is that the state case sucks and is on life support. Shad’s got his entire career banking on this case and appears to have used the DA to get the ball rolling. The former US Attorney resigns and the Feds jump in. Very convenient.

As to the Federal charges, anyone who has worked with MDE and within the MSIS system knows it’s an absolute circus. I have worked with both and the 504 process is a nightmare for both public school and non-public schools. I think the only thing that comes out of that case is exposing how f’ed up the 504 process is.

Either way, we don’t know a fraction of what’s going on with this case. I question whether anyone can get a fair trial in this situation because it’s been nothing but sensationalized from Day 1, but I guess we’ll see. The court of public opinion is brutal and it’ll make no difference to some even if the facts and evidence do clear these people. God forbid we give them them the chance to defend themselves before we pure moral souls judge them guilty as charged.

@ 8:06 but it really isn’t that complicated .I wouldn’t call it a circus. The rules are pretty black and white. Also, public schools don’t get 504 reimbursement, but nice try. It’s really very simple: you can only report actual teachers that teach actual students that qualify. The end. No circus there. Reporting teachers as teaching subjects and/or students they didn’t teach is a... “no no”.

Hey, I’m not judging guilt or innocence but unless you’ve had Feds show up at your house with a big o 8x10 glossy and lots of info about you, you need to shut up!!!

the school sent a letter today.. they are ending the year with no exams...and still don't say it will no be open next year..... why wont they say it - keeping re-enrollment money - shutting doors so you cannot ask for money that was ask for under false pretense

And what about these teachers that just worked an entire year through a pandemic AND embezzlegate to make sure these kids had a safe place to learn? They had money withheld from every paycheck to be their pay through the summer, only to find out in the last line of a letter yesterday that they are potentially facing being laid off and getting none of that money they EARNED. What a wonderful way to say thanks and kick off the summer....

Completely a breach of contract!

And another payday has come and gone with only excuses as to why the checks aren't received or cannot be cashed in a timely manner. This time the powers that be are saying that NLR is expecting money from the state but it has not been received yet. It is hard to hold faith that they will actually pay the teachers through the summer as that is pay that has already been earned.

Unfortunately, many of those that grew to feel like New Summit was our home will say goodbye to it tomorrow. Pay teachers or don’t. Enroll students or don’t. Innocent or guilty. New Summit will never be the same again. The blame can only rest with the few. I hope and pray something comes to take it’s much needed place.

Sad, sad day for The New Summit family. There are many scared families now. Pray for a miracle. Pray for these families.