Charter Schools To Share Notes Most Struggled In First Year, But That’S Normal, Eight-School Independent Evaluation Confirms

A wobbly start at best is how some people sum up Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy’s first year.

From a 20 percent loss of students to poor communication, the school weathered its share of problems.

But an independent evaluation of Idaho’s eight charter schools released this week shows a shaky takeoff is normal.

“The fact we’re even here to live for a second year is a great success,” said John Sarchio, the academy’s new principal.

Ray Richmond, a parent and governing board member of the Renaissance Charter School in Moscow, Idaho, agrees. He’s meeting with other charter school organizers this week in Boise to discuss the report.

“Many of us have experienced the same kind of start-up difficulties across the board regardless of where we come from,” Richmond said in a telephone interview from Boise on Wednesday. “We had no cookbook - a start-up plan we could go to.”

The 1998 Legislature approved creation of charter schools - independent public schools offering alternative educational approaches.

Charter schools generally are started at the grass-roots level by interested teachers and parents who have little experience, if any, in opening a school, Sarchio said.

It’s a daunting task he knows firsthand, having spent last year on a failed attempt to open a Sandpoint charter school.

The state Education Department contracted with Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory of Portland to evaluate Idaho charter schools.

This is the first annual report in a five-year comprehensive evaluation. The 2004 Idaho Legislature will receive the final report. Some lawmakers were leery of the charter concept and requested a five-year progress report.

A federal grant pays for the $45,000 five-year project.

The report shows that launching a charter school takes time.

Moscow Charter Academy, Idaho’s first, is a prime example. Opening its doors in August 1998, the first year was a struggle. But the report notes by year two “staff and parents feel things have smoothed out and they have exceeded their developmental expectations.”

Carolyn Mauer, state charter school coordinator, said the report contains no surprises. It’s just a way for these new schools to measure their progress.

“They will probably all use it in different ways,” Mauer said.

For Sarchio, the report backs what was already known about the Coeur d’Alene academy. He said the school is trying to work out the remaining kinks.

The report notes the academy’s rigor and highlights its heavy homework load and tough grading system. Many students received more Ds and Fs than at their previous schools, causing worry among parents that their children may not get accepted to universities. Some parents called it a “sink-or-swim” approach, the report said.

Twenty percent of the school’s 200 students couldn’t adjust and left the academy in its first year. That’s a higher departure rate than at the other charter schools.

To Sarchio, that’s no surprise and not a real problem. The charter’s focus is college preparatory. That means high academic standards.

He thinks the report’s “sink-or-swim” characterization is a tad too extreme because the students at the charter school are there for its strict standards.

That’s why Mike Ruskovich, a Lake City High School teacher, enrolled his daughter, Emily, in the academy.

“We expected rigor and we got rigor,” Ruskovich said, adding that alternative education sources are needed to supplement the public school system.

Jeanne Bemis was also looking for that rigorous structure for her twin daughters, Brooke and Brynn, 13. And that’s exactly what they got.

The 8th-graders thrived, although the workload was difficult. But they opted to enroll at Lake City High School this year.

“We went to the charter looking for tough homework, tough learning and a tough grading system,” Bemis said. “But it came to our attention the tough grading system could be a serious liability when competing for scholarships.”

Bemis still supports the charter concept and thinks the public needs to be patient with the school while it irons out the lumps. She also believes the state should offer more support.

“It’s an important niche,” she said. “It has lots of bugs that need to be worked out and people shouldn’t be naive about that. Parents should pay attention to what they are or are not getting.”

The report praised the school for its close relationship among students and teachers and small class sizes.

The report also said the charter lacked extracurricular activities, electives such as music and transportation.

Sarchio said those supplements will come with time, except for transportation and food services. Those two additions are too expensive for any charter school to offer, he said.

The academy has hired a music teacher, and will offer an after-school band program. Students can also participate in sports at area high schools.

The school is also installing 12 computers with Internet access.

“It’s a fair assessment,” Sarchio said. “The issues raised are genuine and a lot of them are already being addressed.”