Liberty Schools file lawsuit

Staff Report

LIBERTY

School officials have filed a lawsuit against two former conversion schools that operated in the district.

The district is suing Liberty Early Academic Resource Nest Academy, Inc. and Liberty Exemplary Academic Design Academy, Inc., or LEARN and LEAD, for $100,000.

The lawsuit, filed in the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on Thursday, alleges breach of contract by LEARN and LEAD.

The lawsuit said an agreement was signed in September 2011 that stipulated the conversion school must pay the district $350,000. The agreement said LEARN and LEAD would pay $250,000 as an initial settlement payment, and an additional payment of $100,000 by September 2012.

Superintendent Stan Watson said the school has yet to receive the $100,000 payment.

“It has been a longstanding situation in trying to absolve ourselves of this,” Watson said. “I expect when someone makes an agreement they abide by it, and when they don’t, people in other positions hold them to it.”

The conversion schools operated in the district from 2009 to 2011.