Connections Academy and N.C. Virtual Academy, which is managed by K12 Inc., both opened in 2015 in what was originally supposed to be a four-year pilot program ordered by state lawmakers.
Despite the poor academic results, state lawmakers showed their support for the two schools last summer by extending the pilot program to 2023.
Both Connections and Pearson have blamed each other for the school's poor performance.
Connections' board says it will be in a better position to serve its students if it's fully in control of the operations. The school has an annual budget of more than $17 million.
The fight between the two sides has gotten bitter, with a lawsuit being filed. Monday's hearing was a continuation of the hostile words used in March's meeting that caused several CSAB members to say it felt like it was a divorce proceeding.
J.W. Ragley, vice president for state and strategic client relations for Pearson, charged that until recently Connections' board refused to pay teachers for three months. He also accused the local board of stealing images from Pearson's national television campaign to use on its school website.
"They actually put their teachers as a pawn in the midst of an argument between two groups over a contract, and we as the pay agent out of our own pocket paid for those teachers' salaries and we'll do so again if it happens," Ragley said.
John Branch, Pearson's counsel, suggested that the advisory board recommend that the state board order Connections' board to resign as a condition of staying in the state pilot program.
Donna Rascoe, the counsel for Connection's board, denied Pearson's allegations. She said that the board simply delayed paying some of the invoices to Pearson until it got questions answered about how the money was spent.
After consulting in closed session with its attorney, multiple CSAB members questioned whether Connections could successfully operate without Pearson.
"Things have gotten as ugly as I've ever seen between an (education management organization) and a board," said CSAB vice chairman Steven Walker. "Accusations being hurled around by both sides. They're stealing our money. They're stealing our pictures. They're doing all this.
Walker had floated the idea of revoking Connections' charter, but no vote was taken. He would later go on to call for a failed vote to approve Connections' request. When the vote failed, it led to a separate vote not to take a position.
Several CSAB members said that they should stay out of it because the state board hadn't involved them when the pilot schools were picked. It is unclear though how much of a role the advisory board would have had based on the legislation creating the pilot.
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