BENTONVILLE -- Nearly 90 percent of parents who responded to a survey said they would consider enrolling their children in R.E. Baker Elementary School if the School District converted it to a charter school, according to results provided by the district.
The district offered the survey online to gauge interest in turning Baker into a school for kindergarten through fifth grade focusing on science, technology, engineering and math -- commonly referred to by the acronym STEM -- all explored through the arts. It would be called the R.E. Baker Learning Studio.
At A Glance
Board Meeting
Bentonville’s School Board meets at 5:30 p.m. today at the Administration Building at 500 Tiger Blvd. The agenda includes action on the conversion charter school proposal as well as:
• Information about Bright Futures USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the needs of children by engaging businesses, human service agencies, faith-based organizations and parent groups.
• Taking out a loan to cover expenses related to a new scoreboard and turf at Bentonville High School’s Tiger Stadium. The loan will be paid entirely with community donations.
• Approving a proposal to bill student-athletes’ insurance companies for services provided by athletic trainers.
Source: Staff Report
The School Board, which has discussed the proposal several times, is expected to decide today whether to allow administrators to pursue the idea. The district has until Sept. 8 to submit its application to the state in order to open the charter school by August 2015.
One detail of the proposal yet to be resolved is whether Baker, if converted, would remain on a nontraditional calendar or switch to a traditional one.
The main question of the survey sought parents' opinions on whether they would enrol their children in the school and how they feel about the calendar issue.
That question drew 651 responses. About 33 percent said they would consider enrolling their children regardless of the school's calendar.
A nearly equal number of respondents -- 213, or 32 percent -- said they would consider it if the school operated on a traditional calendar. Another 154 respondents, 23 percent, said they would consider it if the school were on the nontraditional calendar.
Sixty-eight parents, or 11 percent, said they wouldn't consider it regardless of its calendar.
Baker is one of two schools on a nontraditional calendar, which has a shorter summer break but more days off throughout the year.
Comments collected from the survey -- almost all of which were anonymous -- indicate the district's proposal to "grandfather" current Baker students in at the charter school is a polarizing one.
"I don't think giving current Baker students automatic entry into the charter school is a fair way to handle what should be a true lottery draw," said one Sugar Creek Elementary School parent.
Baker parents, however, made their support for the grandfather clause clear.
"Do not let parents from other schools bully this school board into not grandfathering in current R.E. Baker students and student siblings," one Baker parent wrote. "We were put into a lottery in order to get into this school because it is nontraditional. We should not have to go through this again."
Most Baker parents expressed support for the charter plan, but not all. One parent wrote: "I chose Baker because we are zoned for Old High as well and it will make drop off and pick up easier as they are right there together. Turning that building into something else is completely ridiculous, in my opinion. Build a brand new building if you want to bring a charter school into the district."
A charter school is a public school free from some rules traditional public schools must follow; in return, they're expected to show good results and provide models for improvement in education. Conversion charter schools are run by school districts. There are 35 charter schools, including 18 conversion charters, in Arkansas.
It's unclear whether the board will approve the charter school. Three board members -- Brent Leas, Willie Cowgur and Rebecca Powers -- have said they support the proposal. One more member's vote is needed to proceed.
Grant Lightle, board vice president, has expressed the most concerns about the charter school.
"There are still a lot of issues that have not been resolved to my satisfaction," Lightle said.
Lightle's concerns range from how the charter fits into the district's plan to the ripple effects it would have on district facilities. He also isn't convinced the charter addresses a true need or desire among district families.
"I have a lot of friends who live in the district who have chosen other options for their kids and I'm not aware any of them did so because of the curriculum model," Lightle said.
Survey results were broken down by the schools with which parents are associated. Michael Poore, superintendent, said he was somewhat surprised by the high level of support from parents not associated with Baker.
"Overall throughout the community, the people who participated in (the survey) were very positive about the approach and it wasn't just tied to one geographic area. I thought that was significant," Poore said.
Poore said he also was surprised by the number of respondents who would consider sending their students to the school regardless of the calendar.
"I felt like we had community support for the concept. I didn't know it would be as strong as it is," he said.
NW News on 06/26/2014