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Worthy finalist
Kudos to Utica Shale Academy in Salineville, Ohio, for being named one of 10 finalists for the Future Forward Schools Prize. The national award is intended to recognize and support innovative approaches to career education. USA is specifically being lauded for its early career path exploration program. If they win, the school will receive $50,000 to boost their ongoing work. Winners will be announced in early May.
Iowa charter school on the grow
Here’s a nice look at Des Moines Prep, a charter high school currently in its first year of operation. It began with 120 eighth and ninth-grade students and plans to add one grade level per year until it covers grades 8 through 12. Founding principal Matt Lakis says “Our students are telling us that they love coming to school every day. They love the calm and structured atmosphere we’ve been able to create and are really optimistic about what is ahead of them.” Sounds like it’s not just the families already experiencing the school who are feeling positive. Lakis says the school will not only add tenth-grade next year, but will also expand the number of seats in the other grades, nearly doubling their student enrollment next year. Fantastic news!
Indy steps into the future
With the new state law signed and in effect as of April 1, the K-12 education ecosystem in Indianapolis is finally set to move into the future. Governing magazine takes a look at the efforts to put Indy’s district, charter, and private schools on equal footing and to center students’ and families’ needs and choices in all decision-making processes. The piece itself focuses heavily on folks who do not support the changes, as does this local public radio piece that introduces us to the nine members appointed to the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation by mayor Joe Hogsett earlier this week.
Fairness in facilities funding proposed – Colorado edition
Here’s a first look at Colorado Senate Bill 26-145, which proposes to boost the share of voter-approved capital dollars that districts provide to charter schools. “Many charter schools have very healthy relationships with school districts,” said bill sponsor Sen. Scott Bright. “But in other situations, it’s not always that rosy.” Bright couches his legislation as a move toward fairness for charter school students, who make up about 15 percent of Colorado public school enrollment, while still giving districts wide latitude in decisions regarding capital levies. The first hearing on the bill in the Senate Education Committee is scheduled for April 15.
Fairness in facilities funding proposed – Oklahoma edition
Meanwhile, Oklahoma legislators are considering a bill that would give charter schools the ability to issue their own public bonds for facilities needs. Despite a number of state- and privately-funded programs to support charter facilities construction and renovation, this proposal would put charters on equal footing to districts in the Sooner State. “Charter school families are really about creating unique opportunities and addressing” the educational needs of their children, said Oklahoma Public Charter School Association director Barry Schmelzenbach. But funding and student support disparities between districts and charters are baked into the system. Charter school teacher Angela Graham adds that the new proposal is about “making sure that every public school student has access to the same level of support.” HB 3372 passed the House in early March and will soon be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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