School’s owner: I didn’t cause Prep money problems

BRADENTON — The new owner of the former Bradenton Preparatory Academy contends he’s being unfairly blamed for the school’s financial and legal woes.

Hendrik Lamprecht attributed the school’s problems to the previous owner, The Children’s Place Inc., controlled by the school’s founding family.

“I will go a mile to help people, but to be blamed for everything ...” he told the Bradenton Herald on Thursday at the leased Cortez Road storefront where he is attempting to launch a new school, The Prep, from Bradenton Prep’s ashes.

Children’s Place owes more than $1 million in federal payroll taxes, according to Internal Revenue Service liens. A lender won a $3.68 million foreclosure judgment and recently repossessed the school’s former campus on 40th Avenue West. Several creditors have sued over unpaid debts. About a dozen former teachers contend Lamprecht owes them up to four months’ back pay and plan to sue.

Lamprecht contends he’s not responsible for those problems, although he tried to resolve them.

“I did not employ those teachers when I came in, but I’m getting the brunt of it,” he said. “All I want is the truth to be out there and not be blamed. I did not incur the debt with the IRS. That was The Children’s Place.”

Lamprecht, a native of South Africa, said he began investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in Bradenton Prep last September in an effort to save a once-prestigious school that was crumbling financially.

He said he later learned Children’s Place — run by Lois Gerber, who co-founded the school with her husband Murray in 1975 — was spending more money than it was taking in and was deeper in debt than he realized. (Gerber could not be reached for comment Thursday. Her phone was disconnected.)

By then, it was too late.

His only out: Let the building go into foreclosure and repurchase it. But he could not get a clean title because of the liens filed by the IRS and mortgage lenders.

“That is where my issue came. I never anticipated for the school to close,” Lamprecht said.

So he rebuilt.

On Monday he opened a new school, The Prep, in a 9,000-square-foot building at 7700 Cortez Road. But it has no permit to hold classes there.

Lamprecht said he is in the process of obtaining the permit, but a county planner said he had not submitted an application as of early Thursday afternoon. The permit would take several weeks to obtain, county planners have said.

Until then, Lamprecht said students are bused from a nearby church to various places for class. He would not say where.

Lamprecht also said he was unaware that the school used over-aged football players in recent games, and that he is investigating.

A Texas high school football coach canceled Saturday’s game after learning several players on Prep’s roster were ineligible to play football there because they are older than 18. Two of those players had already graduated from area high schools, the Herald reported Thursday.

The Prep also must meet state demands that it comply with private school regulations or risk losing scholarship money.

The Florida Department of Education recently learned about the address change and gave The Prep until Sept. 14 to comply with private school registration requirements, which require a background check for Lamprecht, a health certificate from the new school and a surety bond.

Lamprecht on Thursday said he’s already undergone the background check and is now awaiting a health inspection by the county.

Attorney Ed Vogler II, who has represented Bradenton Prep, said he could not comment on the transition.

Meanwhile, 11 former teachers, including Holly Thompson, are gearing up for their lawsuit.

“It’s definitely happening,” said Thompson, who still contends Lamprecht is responsible for paying her. “He promised us the money for months.”

Later Thursday, Lamprecht said he’ll continue to remain focused on the 127 students enrolled this semester and his 20 staff members, including 16 teachers — all of which he said on Thursday are paid.

“Why would anybody that doesn’t have a sincere love for children, a desire to do something good for the community, be here still with all the harassment that I have been going through?” Lamprecht said.