Arizona Superintendent Saves Failing Charter School Amid Charter Board Criticism

State Schools Chief Tom Horne Reclassifies Primavera, Stopping Shutdown Effort

PHOENIX — Arizona's largest online charter school has been given a lifeline after State Schools Superintendent Tom Horne intervened to save it from being shut down, despite the State Charter Board's months-long effort to revoke its charter.

Primavera Online Charter School will continue operating after Horne allowed the school to present new records that resulted in a complete recalculation of its academic performance. The decision sparked intense frustration among board members who had worked for months toward closure.

A School on the Brink

For more than a year, Primavera and its owner Damian Creamer faced the very real possibility of being shut down. Plagued by poor academic performance and mounting scrutiny, the State Charter Board had already taken multiple steps toward revoking the school's charter in 2025.

Primavera serves thousands of students across Arizona. The school was evaluated under traditional charter school standards, which require higher academic measures than alternative schools.

The Board's Efforts

The State Charter Board voted 9-2 in March 2025 to begin the process of shutting Primavera down after the school received three consecutive annual D letter grades. Longtime board member James Swanson said the board acted within its authority to hold Primavera accountable after students recorded D letter grades for three consecutive years ending in 2024.

Board Chairwoman Jessica Montierth echoed that sentiment after the vote, noting the significant time and effort invested in the case.

"Our authority is based on following through with policy and procedure, and that's what we have done," Montierth said.

Horne's Intervention

The controversy surrounding Primavera intensified following a 12News investigation in February 2025. The report revealed that the school's owner, Creamer, had paid himself $24 million since 2017. At the same time, the school consistently underperformed academically as the Charter Board gave Primavera its worst annual rating four times: Falls Far Below Standard.

Two times, Primavera got the second-worst rating: Does Not Meet Standard.

In March 2025, the Charter Board formally voted to begin the process of shutting the school down after it received three consecutive annual D letter grades. Creamer, who did not attend Tuesday's meeting, appealed directly to Horne, after having the support of Republican leaders who also lobbied the Charter Board on his behalf.

"We're so grateful for Tom Horne," Creamer said during a press conference in mid-March 2025. "For working with us so that we can correct this administrative error."

Horne twice that month said he wasn't going to intervene. "My first priority for all public schools is academic success," Horne said in March 2025. "It is important that charters and district schools alike are held accountable for the quality of education they provide. The Board's action demonstrates that these are not just words, but actions."

But Horne later allowed Primavera to privately meet with his staff and present new records to his office. The board accused Horne of taking the unprecedented steps of retroactively reclassifying Primavera from a traditional school to an alternative school, reopening prior-year data, and allowing the submission of additional information.

A Complete Rewrite

That was key because traditional charter schools are evaluated under higher academic measures, while alternative schools, which typically serve higher-risk or non-traditional student populations, are evaluated with different performance expectations.

It is unclear when Horne made all of the changes. But Charter Board officials said Horne's intervention resulted in the Department of Education indicating the school would have received three Alternative C grades instead of three D grades under the traditional model.

The board, in a statement, said this after-the-fact rewrite of Primavera's academic performance fundamentally changed the facts underlying the Board's case long after enforcement had begun, effectively removing the Board's ability to proceed under its established authority.

The board added, while Primavera will remain open, the Board will ensure a structured operational plan is in place and maintain oversight.

Horne's Explanation

In a statement, Horne clarified the move. "ADE did not change the grade," Horne said. "The department recalculated, and it showed that under Alternative Status, Primavera would receive a C."

With that decision, the Charter Board's options became limited, effectively bringing the effort to shut down the school to an end. For now, Primavera will continue operating as usual.

Financial Implications

Meanwhile, financial records indicate that Creamer still has access to an additional $10 million in equity that he could potentially pay himself.

The story highlights the ongoing tensions between charter school accountability and political influence in Arizona's education system. While the State Charter Board attempted to hold the underperforming school responsible, the Superintendent's last-minute actions to reclassify Primavera raise concerns about the integrity of the oversight process and the ability of charter operators to circumvent consequences for poor student outcomes.

The charter school industry in Arizona has long been criticized for allowing owners to make as much money as possible for years with public funds. Creamer's $24 million in compensation while running a failing school exemplifies the free-wheeling at Primavera that the 12News investigation documented.