For Parents — Your Child's School
On this page
What You Need to Know
Your child’s school is run by Brian Banks — a man with 9 criminal convictions who claims a law degree not confirmed by bar records. His co-resident and financial officer, Joseph Holland Jr., is a convicted drug offender discharged from prison in 2015.
This is not rumor. Every fact below is from public records you can verify yourself.
The Schools
| Purpose Charter Academy | MacDowell Preparatory | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | K–8 | K–8 |
| Superintendent | Brian Banks (9 convictions) | Brian Banks (9 convictions) |
| Math proficiency | Not publicly reported | 3% (2023 M-STEP) |
| Annual revenue | ~$2M (est.) | $4.9M (state per-pupil) |
| Management fee | To Purpose Group LLC | 72.67% to Purpose Group LLC |
| Board oversight | Banks-connected | Judge Yancey = Board Chair |
→ Full entity analysis · Funding flow · Credential audit
Where the Money Goes
Of every dollar the state sends to MacDowell for your child’s education:
- 72.67 cents goes to The Purpose Group LLC — a single-member company owned by Brian Banks
- $0 is reported as staff salaries — because all employees are technically hired through the LLC
- The amount that actually reaches classrooms has not been independently audited
→ Full funding flow analysis · Words vs. Numbers
Who Is Watching?
Normally, courts and regulators would intervene. But 9 judges across 4 Wayne County courts have documented connections to the Banks network:
- Judge Miller — Board Chair of Banks’ foundation (she’s on the November 2026 ballot)
- Judge Yancey — Board Chair of MacDowell itself
- Judge David Perkins — Chief Judge Pro Tem of Probate Court (controls case assignment)
When every oversight path runs through connected judges, accountability localizes — cases cannot reach an independent hearing.
→ Judicial capture analysis · Anderson localization — how courts trap cases
What You Can Do
Request records from the school — Michigan law gives parents the right to inspect financial records of public charter schools. Ask for: management contract with Purpose Group LLC, staff salary schedule, budget detail by line item.
Contact the authorizer — PCA is authorized by DPSCD. MacDowell is authorized through a separate authorizer. Ask them: have you reviewed the superintendent’s criminal record? When was the last financial audit?
File a complaint with MDE — The Michigan Department of Education accepts complaints about charter school operations at michigan.gov/mde.
Verify everything yourself — Step-by-step instructions to check criminal records, business filings, and court connections using public databases.
Talk to other parents — You are not alone. The allied cases show other families who have independently identified the same patterns.
Verify Everything
Every claim on this site can be verified using public databases. No account required. No FOIA needed.
→ Verify Everything — step by step
This page curates existing evidence for parents. All source material is available in the evidence library and source database. Named on this site? Something wrong? Contact me — truth matters more than being right.