SAMS Academy of Corruption, Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – Scott Glasrud oversees about 800 public school students grades 4 through 12, but he makes hundreds of thousands of dollars a year doing it.

That has the state’s attention.

The Schools

Glasrud’s charter schools are high-performing. Southwest Learning Center in the Heights and SAMS Academy, located next to Double Eagle, focus on science and aviation.

Some students can even get a pilot’s license through the schools.

“The program, the school leases the airplanes and we provide ground instruction for students,” Glasrud said.

Glasrud takes in a $210,000 salary – more than any superintendent in the state, other than than Winston Brooks with APS.

He makes even more money on top of that by doing business with his own schools.

Diamond Aviation

“Diamond Aviation is the company we lease the airplanes from, which in full disclosure is a company that I own,” Glasrud told News 13.

Diamond Aviation collected about $800,000 over four years for leasing two planes to the schools.

According to school board members, Diamond was the only company that put in a bid to rent planes.

“One response turned into a lease that the board then approved,” said Larry Kennedy, president of SAMS Governing Council.

State Auditor Hector Balderas says there have been enough red flags to warrant a more thorough look into the schools.

“We’re just ensuring that this district isn’t operating on an actual conflict of interest that would be putting taxpayer dollars at risk,” said State Auditor Hector Balderas.

The audit should be released soon. . . .