Charter schools official wants legal opinion

BOISE – A member of the commission charged with granting public school charters wants a legal opinion on whether his association with the marketer of a curriculum used by some charter schools is a conflict of interest.

Paul Powell is board president of the Hidden Springs Charter School and a member of the Idaho Charter School Commission. He said he thought that there was no conflict of interest between his position as a volunteer board member for Harbor Educational Institute and commission member deciding the fate of charter programs that want to use the institute’s method.

“But I asked for an opinion because we want to do everything right and above board,” Powell said. “I don’t want my integrity questioned.”

Powell said he receives no economic benefit as a board member of the Meridian-based nonprofit corporation that promotes the Harbor Method of education. The Harbor Method involves zero-tolerance for bullying, high academic and behavioral expectations and an interactive teaching style.

Senate Education Chairman Gary Schroeder, who has raised questions about the propriety of charter school operations overall and their involvement with private companies, made Powell’s position with the institute public in a letter he sent to the state commission this week.

Schroeder indicated that Powell should not participate in the decision on whether approval should be given to the Rolling Hills Charter School in Boise and the Compass Charter School in Meridian, since both propose using the Harbor Method.

Powell said he would decide whether to participate based on the attorney general’s opinion.