Opening a school in his hometown of Wilkinsburg has been Andre Rasheen Tucker's dream since childhood.

Following four failed charter school applications to the district's board of directors, he is hopeful his Wilkinsburg application for the Talented Tenth Leadership Academy will be successful, despite the closures of schools he founded in Ohio and pending criminal charges.

"We're just hopeful that we can get those five votes," he said. "Every year, we just keep coming back. We believe our application is stronger each year."

Mr. Tucker, the self-described "visionary" behind the school, was not present at the state-mandated public hearing the district held Dec. 3 immediately following a board reorganization meeting. School secretary Beth Burton gave a presentation to the board and several community members in his stead.

"There's a clear need for it," he said. "Just five years, you know, give us a shot. We have to start somewhere, and I think this model that we're presenting is proven."

He was also the founder of two Talented Tenth Leadership Academies in Columbus, Ohio, one for boys and one for girls. Sponsored by the North Central Ohio Educational Service Center, the schools opened in fall 2013 but were shut down by the state several months later.

Richard Ross, Ohio superintendent of public instruction, described the schools in a release in October 2013 as an "educational travesty." Meals were irregularly served and often consisted of fast-food picked up and delivered to students. There were also reports of "several significant fights, thefts and property damage," he said.

“They did not ensure the safety of the students, they did not adequately feed the students, they did not accurately track the students and they were not educating the students well," he said in the release. "It is unacceptable and intolerable that a sponsor and school would do such a poor job."

In September, Mr. Tucker was indicted on two fifth-degree theft charges. Ohio state prosecutor Rob O’Brien contends he stole checks totaling about $7,500 that were made out to the Talented Tenth schools. The trial date is currently scheduled for Jan. 28, 2015.

Mr. Tucker said he could not comment in detail about "current litigation" but said the Columbus schools failed due to a lack of strong oversight by the service center that sponsored the school. The sponsors attempted to open multiple schools at once, he said, without sufficient manpower and resources.

"You want to have an alliance of folks who have clean hands," he said. "These people in Wilkinsburg know us. Sponsors had a hands-off relationship, hoping you would survive without really thinking about the kids. I would hope the support would be overwhelming in the community."

Part of the proposal for the school includes single-gender classrooms with a STEM-based curriculum and a dormitory to house students. However, Pennsylvania Department of Education spokesman Tim Eller said charter schools are not permitted to provide residential services. If approved, the school would open to middle school students and add a grade level each year, culminating in a 6-12 building. The board will vote on the application at the district's January legislative meeting, board president Ed Donovan said.

"This information about him is public information and can't be ignored, so it will definitely shed some light on our final decision," district superintendent Dan Matsook said. "It will make us take a much closer look at the things they say they're going to do."

First Published: December 11, 2014, 5:00 a.m.