NEWS

State to decide on charter school applications

Matthew Albright
The News Journal
  • Five new charters are seeking permission to open. All of them are proposed for New Castle County.
  • Some traditional school defenders worry the influx would sap resources from district schools.
  • Officials will also decide whether to put three charters under tougher scrutiny for financial issues.
  • They will also decide whether to allow the New Moyer Academy to reduce its targeted enrollment.

The fate of nine charter schools will be decided at Thursday's state Board of Education meeting.

State education officials will decide whether to approve five new charters, whether to put three already-approved schools under review for financial issues and whether to allow the New Maurice J. Moyer Academy to shrink its enrollment targets.

Five new charters are seeking permission to open, all of them in New Castle County and all but one in Fall 2015. The Department of Education's Charter School Accountability Committee has recommended all of the schools be approved except for Pike Creek, which was unable to convince the committee it was economically viable.

Both Secretary of Education Mark Murphy and the Board must now approve the applications for the schools to open.

Should all the proposed schools be approved and reach planned capacity, they would eventually add some 2,750 seats. That has caused some to worry about the drain on nearby traditional school districts.

A group of 20 state lawmakers wrote a letter earlier this month to Murphy and the board expressing "deep concerns" about the scope of the new schools, saying Red Clay School District alone stands to lose 800 students and $2.6 million if the charters are all approved.

The letter argues some of the proposed charters don't have specialized goals beyond those of a traditional school or rely on advantages regular schools can't have.

But the charters' leaders and supporters say the schools should be approved because of the new opportunities they will give students.

"We believe these schools will add unique value to Delaware because of their innovative methodology," Delaware Charter Schools Network Executive Director Kendall Massett wrote to Murphy. "In the case of two of them, a strong track record of success for kids."

Massett points out that, while the state's charter law allows officials to consider the impact on school districts, that can't be the only factor in whether a school gets approved. Officials also have to consider the larger question of whether the schools will be good for the students and communities they serve.

"We have to put the best interest of the children in front of us and collaborate on how to make that a reality," Massett wrote. "We have to provide choices that allow for the very different individualized learning styles of all children to be met."

The lawmakers specifically pointed to Freire Charter School's zero-tolerance policy on fighting, bullying and other violence, arguing a district school can't simply throw out any disruptive students.

Some 41 local Freire supporters sent a letter in response arguing that, given the continuing violence and poor academic futures many Wilmington students face, the school's model is exactly what many city kids need. They said 90 percent of Freire grads attend college within two years of graduation.

"It is our belief that the school will lead the way in changing the abysmal reality our inner-city students are currently facing in their educational journeys," the letter said. "It is perplexing that, in a city plagued by violence, charter opponents have criticized Freire's nonviolence policy, which creates a safe haven in which students can learn and thrive."

Murphy and the Board are also set to decide whether to put three already-approved charters, Academia Antonio Alonso, Delaware MET and Design Lab Charter High School on "formal review" because of concerns over their finances and enrollment. Should they do so, the accountability committee would begin scrutinizing the schools to make sure they are financially viable.

If significant problems are found, the state could revoke the schools' charters, though Thursday's vote would only be a first step.

Formal reviews like these could become more common under a new tighter performance framework for charters approved last year, Department spokeswoman Alison May said.

Finally, officials must decide whether to allow the New Moyer Academy to reduce its targeted enrollment by about half, from 455 students next school year to 265.

State officials rejected last year a proposal to shrink enrollment because of concerns the school wouldn't be able to survive financially and worries about ownership of its building. Since then, Moyer's board has purchased the school, and the accountability committee has recommended the change be approved.

Should the request be approved, Moyer is still out of compliance with its charter over another issue, a curriculum that does not meet state rules.

"We have been in close contact with Moyer leadership about their curriculum and continue to monitor all issues at the school," May said. "They will be submitting a modified curriculum shortly."

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@delawareonline.com or at 324-2428. Follow him on Twitter @TNJ_malbright.

Charter schools up for approval

Freire Charter School: college-preparatory school geared at low-income students with a strict non-violence, non-bullying policy, based on a school in Philadelphia. It would serve grades 8-12 and reach a maximum enrollment of 560 students in 2017.

Delaware STEM Academy: school focused on science, technology, engineering and math. It would start with 250 students in the ninth grade and grow to 600 students in grades 9-12 by 2018.

Great Oaks Charter School: school that recruits recent college graduates for one-on-one "high-dosage tutoring" with students, based on a school in Newark, N.J. It would open with 200 students in sixth grade, growing to 600 in grades 6-9 by 2019.

Pike Creek Charter Middle School: school at the Delaware Swim and Fitness facility that would focus on health and fitness in addition to academics. It would serve 390 students by 2017.

Mapleton Charter School at Whitehall: school for the planned Town of Whitehall development that would not open until 2016. It would start with grades K-3 and grow to 600 students grades K-5 by 2019.