This story was co-published with USA Today.
Lyla Elkins transferred to North Nicholas High School in Cape
Coral, Florida, in 2016 with hopes of sailing through its computer-based
courses and graduating early. She didn’t realize the for-profit charter
school would also be a source of income: a $25 gift card each time she
persuaded a new student to enroll.
“I referred almost all of my friends,” said Elkins, 17, who earned
three gift cards. She also won a Valentine’s Day teddy bear in a raffle
for sharing one of the school’s Facebook posts.
Such incentives are rampant among for-profit operators of public
alternative high schools like North Nicholas, which serves students at
risk of dropping out. These schools market aggressively to attract new
students, especially during weeks when the state is tallying enrollment
for funding purposes. They often turn their students into promoters,
dangling rewards for plugs on social media, student referrals or online
reviews, a ProPublica-USA Today investigation found. Some also offer
valuable perks simply for enrolling.
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Source: ProPublica
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