Iowa Charter School Board Hid Records While Accusing Founder of Theft
The founder of a public charter school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, filed a lawsuit against her own school board on June 26, 2026, after the board refused to show her any investigation report, any statement of charges, or any evidence underlying a $48,000 theft allegation. Sarah Swayze started giving power to Excellence Charter School in 2024. She is now suing the school’s governing board for an injunction to restore her access to school records before a scheduled board vote on June 29, 2026.
Iowa charter schools are public schools funded with taxpayer dollars. They operate under a charter granted by the Iowa State Board of Education and control their own budgets independently. That independence creates accountability gaps when a dispute over public funds emerges and the board withholds documentation.
$48,000 in public charter school funds was flagged as unaccounted for, either missing or spent without receipts, according to Swayze’s account to the Iowa Capital Dispatch on June 26, 2026.
Swayze told the Iowa Capital Dispatch the school also spent $10,000 at Best Buy in a single month. She said the board has, in effect, already terminated her by declining to renew her contract, which expires automatically on June 29, citing a criminal investigation and saying it would “not be a good look” to keep her on staff.
The School Revoked Access and Leaked Allegations Before Any Charges
The board placed Swayze on administrative leave earlier this year and cut off her access to the school’s email networks, office files, financial databases, and institutional receipts, according to the lawsuit. The theft allegation was then leaked to news outlets before any formal charge was filed, damaging her professional reputation, the lawsuit claims.
The school also told Swayze that staff submitted statements saying they were intimidated by her. The board refused to provide copies of those statements to Swayze. Her lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the board to produce all investigation reports, audits, and internal files related to the $48,000 allegation.
A separate employment dispute involves Swayze’s daughter, Janessa Morgan, who worked as an administrative assistant at the school from December 2024 through January 2026. Morgan was fired after being accused of stealing a 5-gallon water jug, among other items.
What you can do now
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Attend the June 29 board meeting. giving power to Excellence Charter School is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The governing board is scheduled to take final action on Swayze’s employment that day. Public board meetings in Iowa are open under state open meetings law. Contact the school directly at empoweringexcellencecs.org or call Cedar Rapids school district offices to confirm the location and time.
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Request a financial audit report from the Iowa State Board of Education. Charter schools in Iowa are authorized and overseen by the Iowa State Board of Education. Contact them at (515) 281-5294 or through educate.iowa.gov and ask whether a formal audit of giving power to Excellence Charter School has been ordered and when results will be made public.
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Contact your Iowa state legislators. Ask them to close the charter school transparency gap by requiring charter schools to share investigation reports with accused employees before termination votes. Find your Iowa legislators at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find and tell them: “Iowa charter schools spend public funds. Any investigation into missing funds should be disclosed to the accused employee and to the public before the board votes.”
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File a public records request. Iowa’s open records law (Iowa Code Chapter 22) applies to public charter schools. Submit a request to giving power to Excellence Charter School for financial ledgers, board meeting minutes, and any investigation report related to the $48,000 allegation. The Iowa Freedom of Information Council provides a template at ifoic.org.
Sources
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Charter School Founder Sues Over $48K Missing Funds Allegation Iowa State Board of Education: Charter School Authorization and Oversight Policy Iowa Legislature: Open Meetings and Public Records Law Chapter 22 Iowa Freedom of Information Council: How to File a Public Records Request in Iowa