Ambiguity Frustrates School Board Members

It’s too early to gauge the full impact that the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy has had on the Coeur d’Alene School District.

But officials for both entities agree there remains uncertainty over who controls the new school’s budget.

Classes at the college-preparatory school - Kootenai County’s first charter school - began last fall.

School board chairwoman Wanda Quinn said she remains frustrated over the lack of clarity regarding who is responsible for the charter school - its own board, or the school district board.

“We will have to wait for the annual report,” she said. “My concerns deal somewhat with the frustration in deciding what is within the school district and what is separate from the district.”

The school district’s annual budget is $52 million. Divided by 8,600 students, that amounts to $6,046.51 per student. The charter academy’s annual budget is $945,000. Divided by 185 students, that comes out to $5,156 per student.

“Our budget is tight, but we’re going to do OK,” said Bill Proser, Charter Academy principal.

State funding for charter school students does not go to the school district.

“The Coeur d’ Alene Charter Academy gets its support from the state of Idaho through the same formula funding method that the school district uses,” said Steve Briggs, the Coeur d’Alene district’s finance director. “But the money for the students goes directly to the charter school.”

Briggs had projected losing 115 students to the charter school, but “in fact, we lost approximately 90.”

Briggs said the funding from the state is approximately $21,000 per unit, a unit being 18.5 students at the secondary level. In school funding terms, 4.86 units transferred from the school district to the charter academy, bringing in state support of $102,162, Briggs said.

The rest of the enrollment at the charter came from other districts, private schools, or home-schooled students.

Quinn said she’s concerned that state charter law places them under the direction of the school district, “but items like expulsion, and budget hearings are out of our control.”

School board member Vern Newby said the ambiguity about whether charters or school districts are responsible on legislative and legal issues has created unnecessary problems.

“But I hope it keeps on going and it is successful,” Newby said of the charter. “They have a lot of good people.”

School board member John Goedde said he is in favor of the charter school, but echoed concerns about the state law’s confusion on budget matters.

“I have concerns with the potential for financial failure,” Goedde said. “Someone needs to watch how the money is being spent. Because it is public money, the taxpayers demand scrutiny.”

Academy board chairman Dr. Robert McFarland agrees with some of those concerns, and said the charter is proceeding with caution.

“We have the same worries as if we were starting any new business,” he said. “We’re still just learning.”

Unlike school districts, Proser said, charter schools cannot use bond levies and are forced to operate more efficiently than other schools.

Although many questions remain as the charter finishes its first year, already there are plans for expansion.

McFarland said the school plans to add an 11th grade in the fall. The school currently has students in grades seven through 10.

A 12th grade will be added for the 2001-2002 school year.

“We hope to expand our facility to 250 students next year, and close to 300 the year after that,” Nelson said.

With these plans, further impact on the school district is expected, but Quinn said she does not feel it will be negative.

“I am looking forward to competition in education,” she said, “because I think the academy will do well.”

We’re interested in what you think about this issue. If you have access to the Internet, click on http://intheschools.spokane.net and leave your comments on the message board for the “In the Schools” Web site. On that site, you will find current and past articles written by our student correspondents from the high schools in Kootenai County. We will select some comments from the message boards for future publication in Handle Extra.