[8] In 2004 The Varnett School appointed Ronique Bastine-Robinson, a municipal judge of Stafford, Texas, to its board of directors.

Since March 2012, during a review of issues not specified, the TEA withheld the accreditation of the Varnett school system.

[12] In August 2013 the TEA released a report stating that the school system conducted business out of the view of the public, had conflicts of interest, and spent millions of dollars in manners it considered questionable.

[1] U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick stated that the Cluffs charged parents and students for various privileges and used the money to fund luxury goods and services.

[citation needed] Previously Annette Cluff served as the superintendent and campus director of the system.

Melissa Cluff, the daughter of Annette and Alsie Jr., is the assistant director of a kindergarten program.

According to Annette Cluff, the state's charter agreement, which came into effect when Varnett became a public school, allowed the practice.

The school also paid $786,400 to rent buildings from the Varnett Academy Inc., a Cluff company.

Annette Cluff says that the individuals received high salaries because "[m]y people have to wear multiple hats" because "[w]e don't have the big administration building with lots of staff," like a traditional school district would have.

[5] As of 2012 Cluff's salary was $264,600, which would place her among the most highly paid school superintendents in the State of Texas.

That year, the principal of Lamar High School in Houston, which housed two times the combined total of students in the entire Varnett system, had a salary of $127,000.