“The financial challenges we face are directly linked to IQS’s incessant meddling in our decision-making processes and erosion of our autonomy,” Ibrahim said in the statement. “Their deliberate and discriminatory practices have consumed our time and resources, diverting our focus from core educational priorities.”
IQS first cited STEP’s board for weak oversight in 2019, saying it failed to respond when Ibrahim repeatedly engaged in “improper management practices.”
The situation didn’t reach crisis levels, however, until the costs of the school’s 2022 expansion into Burnsville wiped out STEP’s financial reserves. Its fund balance, the most critical indicator of a charter school’s financial health, fell from $2.7 million in 2022 to $54,461 in 2023, state records show.
In response to Ibrahim’s allegations, IQS said in a statement that its repeated interventions were aimed at ensuring the school operates within state guidelines and lives up to the promises made in its contract with the nonprofit.
“It is unfortunate that Dr. Ibrahim has made unfounded claims of racial bias,” IQS Board Chair Steve Kelley said in a statement. “He is wrong. IQS and its leadership team have acted professionally and impartially.”
