Asbury Park charter school hired its director's husband, mother and kids, watchdog found
A Jan. 12, 2026 preliminary report by the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller found that College Achieve Greater Asbury Park Charter School handed near-total control to private manager College Achieve Public Schools Inc. (CAPS Inc.) without state review or competitive bidding, and violated public contracting and nepotism rules. While the executive director also served as CAPS Inc.'s chief operating officer, the school hired her husband as principal, her mother and her two children, and paid more than $100,000 to her brother-in-law's business; cash was accepted without records. CAPS Inc., which received $57 million from its network schools from 2016 to 2023, waived $385,568 in fees in one year. The board fired the director and her husband in 2024. CAPS refused subpoenas and sued; in June 2026 an appeals court upheld a narrowed subpoena. A spokesperson said any misconduct was 'isolated, not systemic.' The investigation continues.
Any misconduct cited was isolated, not systemic.
The OSC can exercise its power … to issue a subpoena as part of an investigation, even if the subpoena is to a vendor
Under her leadership, the school paid more than $100,000 to a business owned by her brother-in-law.
Spokesperson Naush Boghossian: "Any misconduct cited was isolated, not systemic."
Disputes findings; says problems were isolated, a small share of spending, and already corrected.
No outcome recorded yet.