Pinnacle Canyon Academy charter school will double in size after all.
The State Board of Education on Friday voted 8-6 to allow the Carbon County school to add classes in kindergarten through fourth grades in fall 2002, and extra classes in fifth through eighth grades in fall 2003.
The action follows last month's deadlocked vote on the same proposal, which essentially phases in the charter school's request to double to accommodate about 180 parents on its waiting list.
"I also know it was a difficult decision," Andrea Swanson, academy board president, said in a telephone interview. "We are happy to have resolution. At least we can move forward now, and we're not just hanging out there."
But the vote disappoints Carbon Superintendent David Armstrong.
"If they get the children it's going to be devastating to the district and we're going to have to cut more teachers, and probably eliminate more programs," Armstrong said from his office. "It hurts me that so few people can create a negative effect for the children of the district, but that's what will happen."
Charter schools are parent-governed schools aimed at providing educational choices within the public school system. The schools are allowed in three-fifths of the United States and in Utah since 1998.
As of Friday, 13 charter schools had been approved, three of which will open in the fall. The group includes the new Salt Lake Arts Academy, for fifth- through eighth-graders. The school, proposed by Salt Lake City School District's Wasatch and Beacon Heights elementary school principals Amy Wadsworth and Carol Lubomudrov, respectively, will open in fall 2003.
Charter schools are controversial in some communities partly because of money.
Per-student funds follow students in charter schools.
But shrinking school districts such as Carbon, which has lost 755 students in five years, have complained charter schools put a drain on their coffers. Armstrong said he has laid off 16 teachers, increasing class size, due to financial shortfalls this year.
Board member Denis Morrill voted against the charter school's expansion because of such issues.
"The theory is this is a compromise," he said. "What it really does is irreparably harm Carbon School District, with all those low-income little kids they'll have less money to educate."
But charter schools have complained they don't receive amenities of regular public schools, including transportation, buildings and the bonding authority to pay for them. Pinnacle Canyon officials say their proposal is about providing educational choice for parents, not harming the district.
Board member Mike Anderson agrees.
"They're all public schools, and we're supposed to be supporting public education in this state. Why restrict people who are doing a good job?" he said. "Maybe the board of education down there will say 'We have to improve our situation so people want to come here.' There is something great that is going to come out of this in that area, I believe."
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