Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:02/07/2023

  Type:Sales and Advertising Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  On 1-6-2023 I was called into the school for a meeting with the ***************** I was told they were expelling my daughter for "disrespect." Even though she didn't meet the expulsion criteria, they were pursuing under administrative discrepancy. They gave me the option of withdrawing her or taking an expulsion on her record. They said that an expulsion would exempt her from going to any other schools besides alternative schools. She's only 13. Furthermore, they stated that whether I withdrew her OR they expelled her, she was not welcome back into the school and I must pay the 2nd semester tuition. My children attend this school for free through the choice scholarship award due to my income. ******************** stated that because my daughter is leaving before the beginning of the 2nd semester (The following week) that they will have counted heads and will owe the state back the funds they received for her tuition. Since they owe the state back, they stated that I must pay them "because they already budgeting for that amount" ... Had they waited a week to "expel" her, I wouldn't even have to pay them. This is obviously a scam. I've reached out several times about this and they have not answered any of my emails. They did however bill me her tuition cost, plus a late fee already tacked on when I had no notice of an upcoming bill.Furthermore, I have attached the handbook, the modified handbook since they started this school year, the billing agreement and my emails to the school. Aside from this situation being highly unethical, there is not a policy about this situation. I have the entire meeting on audio recording that I would love to share with the BBB but cannot attach this type of file. Please examine the dates on the attachments as they also back dated the bill & charged me a $50 late fee! This school has been the most sketchy, unprofessional, non-Christian, bad experience that I could write several bad reviews about & this was the topping on the cake.

  Business Response

  Date: 02/26/2023

  The following information is provided in response to a complaint filed to the BBB from **************************
  Mrs. ******** older daughter, N, was originally enrolled at Portage Christian School (PCS) as a sixth *rader for the 2020-2021 school year.  Ns parents withdrew her during the third quarter and she returned to Portage Twp. Schools (PTS). 
  N remained at PTS the first semester of her seventh *rade year. Mom re-applied to PCS for the second semester.  *** stated that the experience was awful at PTS and that N needed out of  PTS.   N also stated she was sorry for her past behavior issues with us at PCS, and that she would do better if *iven a second chance to attend PCS.
  N was accepted to reenroll at PCS during the 2021-2022 school year.  She spent the second semester of her 7th *rade year and the first semester of her 8th *rade year (2022-2023) at PCS.  During this time, her behavior issues began to increase, rather than decrease.  
  Since August 25, 2022, N received 12 behavior infractions from various staff members.  N and staff had discussions on numerous occasions in an effort to help her correct her behaviors.  Teachers and administration met with her mother, step-father, and father on many occasions in an effort to help N. 
  During our annual Christmas program on December 15, 2022,  I received several reports from upset parents who witnessed N being forcibly removed from the school *ym by her step-father.  I called the Portage ***************** that evening and asked them to do a wellness check on N and her younger sister, **
  ************************* called PCS the next day to apologize for her daughters behavior from the night before and explain the events from that evening that led up to N refusing to walk to the car.  She was kicking and screaming and throwing herself on the floor of the *ym when her step-father told her it was time to leave.  He then had to pick her up and carry her to the parking lot, kicking and screaming.  These actions were what alarmed other parents and prompted involvement of the police.
  ******************* claims that we did not meet the expulsion criteria stated in our handbook.  PCSs discipline philosophy begins on page 40 of the Parent/Student Handbook.  Specific expulsion language is found on page 42. *iven the totality of behavior issues, expulsion was the appropriate course of action.
  Mr. and ******************* were *iven the option of withdrawing N from PCS so that she may enroll at a public school if she chose.  ****************** thanked us, repeatedly for the opportunity to withdraw N instead of expelling her.  Administration met with ************ (father) and explained the events that transpired leading up to his daughters withdrawal from PCS.
  ******************* stated that she had an audio recording of our meeting.  While I did not say or do anything inappropriate, that conversation was illegally recorded.. ******************* (**** of Students) nor I (Administrator) had knowledge of or *ave permission for any conversation to be recorded.
  ******************* signed her TADS agreement, when she enrolled *, which states that parents will be responsible for paying the balance of tuition if their student withdraws or is expelled from school.  The only exception is if a family moves more than 50 miles away from PCS.
  ******************* also stated that PCS back dated the withdrawal and that she was charged additional money.  Our meeting occurred on  Friday, January 6, 2023 at 2:15 pm.  N was unenrolled at PCS on January 13, 2023.  This was the first day of the new semester.  The full years tuition was $6,050.  ******************* was only charged for the second half of the years tuition, $3,025.  She was not charged any tuition from January 6 through January 13.  ******************* has refused to sign any withdrawal papers.
  ******************* sent an email on January 12, 2023 stating that she sought legal counsel and that she never signed an agreement.  She came into the building a few days later and was handed a copy of her TADS agreement which shows her legal obligation to pay the balance.  She refused to sign the withdrawal paperwork a second time.  To date, she never signed the withdrawal papers.
  Portage Christian School is a school choice voucher school.  When a student leaves the school, a refund is issued by the **** and the school is obligated to pay back the portion of the voucher.  The amount of $3,025 will be refunded to the **** from PCSs *eneral fund.  This amount is passed on to the parents, which they agree to in their TADS agreement.  This is done in order for us to budget expenses for salaries, books, supplies, etc. 
  ******************* sent an email dated Monday, January 16, 2023 where she asked about signing paperwork.  Her daughters personal property was collected and she did receive everything.
  PCS could have expelled N based on Moms refusal to sign the withdrawal agreement.  We could have counted the days of January 9, 2023 through January 13 as truant.  N was not in school and not unenrolled during that time.  PCS chose to not take either of those actions in an effort to show ***** in the situation.
  PCS would like to further state that Mrs. ******** younger daughter, *, still attends PCS.  ******************* stated that PCS is, sketchy, unprofessional, and non-Christian yet she has allowed her younger daughter, * to attend PCS from Preschool.  * has consistently attended PCS for the past three years.        
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 02/28/2023

   I am rejecting this response because: The Response from Portage Christian had almost nothing to do with the complaint at hand.

  First of all, the meeting that was recorded was perfectly legal. Because I have delt with this school for so many years, I know better than to have a conversation with any of those people without it being recorded. ******* is referred to as a one-party state. For my own profession, much of my job is documenting AND audio recording another party without their consent or knowledge and using this as evidence in litigation hearings. I have given all of this to an attorney and the recording alone is enough to laugh *** admin out of a court room. If I have to file a motion to sue *** to settle these charges, I will be also going for attorney fees as well as emotional distress for everything this school has put our family through and present past recorded meetings at that time.

  Back to *** ignoring the issue at hand. The documentation provided does NOT apply to this situation that would allow *** to bill us. Below are responses that ******************** made that I am just responding to for fun and have nothing to do with this case, but since she took the time to mention them, I may as well correct the ignorance. 

  Using a bunch of nonsense documentation regarding behavior issues (when really, it's not the child who was abnormal whatsoever, it's the ridiculous, strict and non-christian environment and unrealistic standards she was held to and the way she was treated by staff.) This school is the closest thing we have come to a **** boot camp and I ask you not to forget that I am far from the other parent with the same complaints, just ****** the school yourself. Since switching schools and prior to attending ***, she has never had a complaint about her behavior, and I am happy to explain to any judge or school board how ridiculous almost all of the things she was punished for were completely asinine. 

  ******************** falsified statements that I made in her response. She also used an incident involving *** calling for a well-being check in her text but failed to mention that she didnt witness any part of the event, she waited over an hour to call the police even though it was "so terrible" and that I called the school the next day thanking them for their concern because my child WAS having an emotional breakdown and that when PD came they were so unconcerned that they didnt even type an incident report. 

  Turing in absent and tardy notices has nothing to do with anything. Almost all of those absences were for a school-approved family vacation soooo... nice try. The tardies, I would love to see how many other students were tardy on those same days because of the tardies we experiences were the fault of the long drop-off line. Regardless, irrelevant. 

  *** also could not have claimed she was truant during the mentioned dates. She was enrolled online into Public school the very next day after being excused from *** and I spoke to the school that monday and was told she was to start on the first day of the new semester the following week. Not only is there a paper trail of this, but again I have my recording of what *** said and did to our family. 

  Lastly, their father and I would LOVE to take our other child out of that school immediately but now that we are aware of their financial schemes, we arent going to risk that. She will not be returning next year. 

  I would like to give *** the final chance to either SHOW PROOF that I signed something stating you can give the ultimatum and information that you did and that we truly do owe over 3 thousand dollars because of it, or do the right thing and erase the bill. If not I will see to it that we meet again in a court room, reach out to the department of education, the *** school board, the local newspaper and every review page I can find on ******. 

  Business Response

  Date: 03/15/2023

  In addition to the previous explanations and articles of evidence, I have included further evidence.  PCS Handbook explains the expulsion and administrative discretion on pages 42-43.  I have included the student's attendance report and the police case number for the wellness check that was conducted.  These pieces of evidence will further provide the reasons that this student was asked to leave PCS.  There was enough evidence to issue an expulsion, however we wanted to afford this student the opportunity to re enroll in her previous public school if she chose to do so.   The TADS agreement that was signed by ************************* clearly states that, "In the event of withdrawal during the school year, tuition will be due for the remainder of the school year..."  I am including this piece of evidence again.  

  As for the personal attacks, I maintain my integrity and professional administrative discretion.  Thank you for your time.

  Sincerely,

  *****************************

  PCS Administrator

  Customer Answer

  Date: 03/16/2023

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Attached is the letter from my attorney to Portage Christian School. I provided him with the handbook, the tads agreement, the billing statements, the legally obtained recording, etc. My ex-husband and I (the other party legally responsible for this bill) will not be paying or subjected to being victim to the schools money scams. The tads agreement nor the handbook state that funds must be paid back for students that qualified for the school choice voucher, and as the recording reflects there were numerous shady comments made to my questions in that meeting by both ******************** and *****************.
  As I have retained counsel, if the school does not rid the tuition amount from my tads billing statement, they can forward all questions to my attorney. ******* and I will happily pay the book fee for the materials that needs replaced but we will not be paying the tuition or late fee that was added from PCS back-dating the tuition due-date. 
  

  thank you.