Three Charter schools On the Way

By Melanie Asmar, Concord Monitor Staff | March 15, 2006

Charter schools scored a hat trick yesterday when three more were approved by the state Board of Education, bringing the total number in New Hampshire to 11.

A Concord-area elementary school focused on early literacy, a southern-tier middle/high school emphasizing math and science, and a small village elementary school in Surry were all given the go-ahead. The Surry school plans to open next year; the other two will hold off until the 2007-08 school year.

Charter school advocates said the votes show that the political tide is turning in their favor.

"This is fabulous because it means charter schools have become part of the fabric of public education in our state," said Susan Hollins, director of the pro-charter New Hampshire Center for School Reform. "The law is coming to life."

But Dave Ruedig, chairman of the state board, said he thinks applicants are simply more prepared. Potential charter school founders currently undergo strict scrutiny, he said, a process that wasn't always in place because the law was unclear as to how much analysis was allowed.

Charter schools have been allowed in New Hampshire for more than a decade, but none was established until a change in the law permitted founders to circumvent local officials and seek approval directly from the state.

About the same time, New Hampshire secured a $7.2 million grant to approve 20 charter schools in 10 years. The first two schools were approved in August 2003.

But one of them, the Franklin Career Academy, closed after a year because it didn't have enough money to survive. The school never received any state education money from the Franklin School District, which was required by law to forward state funds. The district refused, however, leaving the charter school in financial limbo.

With the support of some state lawmakers and a push to pay state education money directly to charter schools, the Franklin Career Academy has vowed to reopen in September.

It was clear yesterday that the lessons learned in Franklin did not escape the state Board of Education. Board members looked into the sustainability of each school, asking questions about community support and money. The state pays $3,500 for each child, and charter schools are expected to make up the rest, which ranges from $2,000 to $7,000 more per pupil.

Strong Foundations, the elementary literacy school that aims to open in the Concord area, plans to solicit grants from 38 foundations concerned with either literacy or special education, founders said. The idea behind the school is that if children learn the basics of reading early, they will be less likely to drop out of high school and may avoid special education.

The school, which was approved unanimously by the Board of Education, also plans to serve as a demonstration site for New Hampshire teachers. Strong Foundations will employ a rarely used, but proven, program to teach phonics, founders said. If successful, the school will share its expertise, said founder Beth McClure, a Canterbury reading specialist.

Board member Fred Bramante said he was impressed by the school's dual objectives.

"I am intrigued by the thought of having a school not only use this approach but be willing to train other educators," he said.

The Academy for Science and Design, which will be located somewhere between Concord and Nashua, has set a goal to raise between $500,000 and $1 million before the school opens. Most of that money would come from private businesses, local colleges and professional associations, founders said.

The middle/high school, which was approved in a 4-1 vote, will focus on math, science, engineering and design. Supporters, including sponsor Daniel Webster College in Nashua, said there is a critical shortage of those programs in the state and New Hampshire companies are looking elsewhere to fill high-tech jobs.

"The business world is clearly interested in this," said Frank Donlan of the American Electronics Association's New England Council, who came to support the charter.

Board members applauded the school's inclusion of money for special-education students but were wary of the school's possible effects on neighboring high schools.

Marc Lessard, a University of New Hampshire physics professor, said the academy isn't aiming to attract an elite few but plans to cast a wide net. As with all charter schools, students will be chosen by lottery if too many apply.

The Surry Village School plans to take the place of the Surry elementary school, which the Monadnock Regional School District shut down last year because of falling enrollment. This year, the 32 Surry students are bused to schools up to an hour away.

Founders said they hope to rent the empty elementary school and fill it to its 90-student capacity, funding it mainly through grants and gifts. They say they'll be able to attract children from neighboring towns with the school's one-room-schoolhouse feel. Students will learn traditional New England skills, such as woodworking, gardening and maple sugaring, in addition to a regular curriculum, founders said.

Though the school was approved by a 4-1 vote, board member Bill Walker said the proposal felt "very thin." He said he was concerned the school would not attract enough students - and money - from outside Surry, a mountain town with a population of 700.

But Ruedig said that if the charter school eventually closes, students can easily return to the Monadnock district.

"If this school did not succeed, the students would not fail," he said.

There are currently six charter schools operating in New Hampshire. Besides the three approved yesterday, both the Franklin Career Academy and the Equestrian Academy, a horse-based school in Rochester, plan to open next year.