Ozark College And Career Academy In Springdale Is Voted Down By Panel

SPRINGDALE — Christine Silano said Thursday she will present plans for the Ozark College And Career Academy again next year after the state’s Arkansas Department of Education’s Charter Authorizing Panel voted it down Wednesday.

Plans called for the school to operate at The Jones Center and serve students in kindergarten through 12th grade, said Silano, executive director of Ozark Education Inc. Ozark Education is the nonprofit organization sponsoring the school. The school would have a Montessori-based curriculum with hands-on learning, she said.

Web Watch

To watch the video from the Charter Authorizing Panel go to: http://flash.aetn.org/adeplayer.html?source=rtmp://flash.aetn.org/vod/mp4:ade/charterschoolnov132013.f4v

Source: Kimberly Friedman, Director Of Communications For The Arkansas Department Of Education

Panel members voted 5-1 against awarding the charter. They denied the application based on curriculum and funding issues, said Kimberly Friedman, director of communications for the Arkansas Department of Education.

“The panel was concerned about the school’s financial viability if there were to be a decrease in student enrollment,” she said by email. “The panel was also concerned about how project-based learning and the proposed Montessori curriculum would intertwine.”

Panel members were unavailable to discuss Wednesday’s decision because they were in session all day Thursday to review more applications, Friedman said.

Silano said she will try to explain more about the curriculum next time she presents it. She said she believes the panel didn’t understand a Montessori curriculum is based on hands-on learning. She also said she might apply for grants so the school will be more financially stable.

“We’re looking at all our options right now,” she said.

Clay Hendrix, Springdale School District assistant superintendent for education innovation, technology systems, science, engineering, technology, math and district accountability, spoke in opposition to the charter school. Hendrix asked the panel to deny the application of the school.

“We feel there is no uniqueness of program offerings in this application,” he said in a video of the meeting. He said he doesn’t think the charter offers anything the Springdale School District doesn’t.

Silano said she appeal the decision to the Board Of Education. The deadline for an appeal is Wednesday. She would get a response to the appeal in December.

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