Up North Progressive

In a closed session on Friday the board for Grand Traverse Academy informed their new management company, Full Spectrum Management LLC, to make sure that none of the employees hired by the new company were “too closely tied” to former manager Dr. Steve Ingersoll. Ingersoll was indicted in April on felony fraud charges and still owes Grand Traverse Academy over two million dollars in prepaid fees.

The only issue with this request to the new management company is it’s owned by Mark Noss, who is also an optometrist in Traverse City and Steve Ingersoll’s partner. Noss is another promoter of IVL and his name is all over the center that teaches it downstate. There is also the issue of some of Noss’s family serving on the school board. Will these people resign to also comply with the board’s request?

This is an odd request to make, unless there is concern with the GTA board that some of the felony charges against Ingersoll could put their charter school under more scrutiny. Bay City Academy is also more than likely being looked at closely, especially with the sudden departure of Superintendent Schrock in January. Because Ingersoll and Noss are the creators of IVL and Icon Curriculum Mapping, will they stop using these things as well?

Considering some of the family and business connections between the board, the school, the management company and the optometry practice Ingersoll’s schools all use as part of the curriculum, removing all of the close ties will be a very big hassle for Grand Traverse Academy. It seems that this latest in a long line of closed door board meetings have more than just running a school to worry about.