CIBOLO, Texas – The founder and superintendent of Essence Preparatory Public School faces three criminal charges after being arrested by Cibolo police earlier this month.
Akeem Jonathan Brown, 34, was booked into the Guadalupe County Jail on May 14 on charges of driving while intoxicated, evading arrest and unlawful carrying of a weapon, jail records show.
Details about the cases are unknown at this time, and KSAT has reached out to Cibolo police for more information.
Jail records show that Brown was released from jail on May 14.
In December, the school was ordered to close after receiving unacceptable ratings from the Texas Education Agency, according to the San Antonio Report.
The school’s open-enrollment contract is set to expire on July 31, according to a letter sent from the TEA to school board President Brian Dillard and Brown. The letter was obtained by the San Antonio Report.
Essence Preparatory Public School had “academically unacceptable performance ratings of an F in 2022-2023, a D in 2023-2024, and an F in 2024- 2025,” Commissioner Mike Morath said in the letter.
A school spokesperson provided KSAT with a statement on Brown’s arrest, which can be read in its entirety below:
The Essence Prep Board of Directors is aware of the reported incident. As this is a personnel matter, we are unable to comment on specific details.
The Board of Directors continues to oversee all operations and ensure appropriate processes are followed.
As previously announced, Essence Prep will cease operations at the end of the current school year and will not reopen for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The Essence Prep Board’s priority remains on the students, families, and staff and supporting the school community through this transition.
Essence Preparatory Public School spokesperson
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