Tom Horne rules Primavera is alternative school for 2024, throwing them lifeline

PHOENIX — State Schools Chief Tom Horne took a major step on Tuesday to help embattled charter school Primavera Online.

Horne—in a decision that contradicts the state Charter Board’s determination earlier this month—ruled that Primavera will retroactively have its status changed to an alternative school for 2024. Horne said his decision will not affect Primavera’s annual school letter grade, and it would be up to the State Board of Education to change Primavera’s letter grades. 

The school’s attorney and owner, Damian Creamer, who paid himself $24 million over the past several years, did not respond to requests for comment to 12News.

However, Creamer in an online post stated: “This is a HUGE step in the right direction. Over the past 25 years, Primavera has had the pleasure and honor of educating hundreds of thousands of Arizona students…Never surrender, never stop.”

Horne’s decision comes after he spoke to conservative online media influencer Laura Loomer. Horne agreed with Loomer’s position that Primavera should be an alternative school, and it was an “administrative error” that caused the problem. 

 The Charter Board did not agree. Board members voted unanimously in June to continue the process of shutting down Primavera. 

Horne’s decision could help Primavera as it appeals the Charter Board’s ruling before a judge. A hearing is set for Sept. 8-11. 

Primavera officials have repeatedly said that Primavera had been an alternative school, it would have been judged on lower academic standards and not received “D” grades in the past three years.

Those grades, reported as part of a 12News investigation into Primavera, triggered the Charter Board earlier this year to begin the process to shut down Primavera.

Key Republican lawmakers had been pressuring the Charter Board to reverse its decision, and Creamer rallied more than 50 supporters to attend the board’s meeting earlier this month.

But the board, in a 10-0 vote, rejected arguments that Primavera would have received “C” letter grades the past three years had it been an alternative school. 

During that early June meeting, Sean Ross, executive director of the Arizona Board of Education, said Primavera never appealed its “D” letter grades in the past three years — despite having numerous opportunities to do so.

Charter Board members also expressed disdain that Primavera was trying to circumvent the appeals process and disputed the claims, saying the school did not meet minimum benchmarks.

This all comes after a meeting in March that started the process. In March, Board Member Binky Jones told Creamer that the school’s college and career readiness scores were abysmal.

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