School's bid to raise enrollment retracted

Charter panel wary of reports’ errors

Charter Authorizing Panel member Annette Barnes (right) speaks to Scott Sides, head of school for the Arkansas Virtual Academy, about student enrollment numbers after Sides withdrew a request to expand the school’s enrollment cap.
Charter Authorizing Panel member Annette Barnes (right) speaks to Scott Sides, head of school for the Arkansas Virtual Academy, about student enrollment numbers after Sides withdrew a request to expand the school’s enrollment cap.

The Arkansas Virtual Academy charter school withdrew a request to increase its enrollment cap by 1,000 students, to 3,000, after the state's Charter Authorizing Panel complained Wednesday about a history of reporting errors from the school.

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Charter Authorizing Panel members Mark Gotcher and Annette Barnes vote in favor of relocating the KIPP Delta Public Schools’ high school campus in Helena-West Helena after hearing the school’s executive director, Scott Shirey, present information to the board on Wednesday.

Incorrect numbers could throw off allocations of federal Title I money and other funding that is based on a school's student counts. That can short some school districts and charter schools in the state if the errors aren't caught by the Education Department.

The online charter school, which is based in North Little Rock and serves students statewide in kindergarten through 12th grades, can modify its enrollment-cap request and return to the Education Department's Charter Authorizing Panel for approval as soon as this spring. Charter panel decisions are subject to review and a final vote by the Arkansas Board of Education.

Scott Sides, head of school for the virtual academy, initially asked for a 3,000-student enrollment cap that would over time allow about 200 students per grade in kindergarten through second grades and 240 per grade in third through 12th grades.

Currently the counts range from 52 in this year's first graduating class to 235 in ninth grade and 239 in the eighth grade.

"I do believe this is a long-range enrollment ask," Sides told the state panel.

Sides said the academy's total enrollment as of October was 1,874 and that it had grown to 1,916 as of Jan. 1.

Stacy Smith, the Education Department's assistant commissioner of learning services and a member of the Charter Authorizing Panel, told Sides that Education Department information showed that the school's enrollment in October was 2,092 -- exceeding the current enrollment cap in the academy's charter.

"Which is correct, and what is the source for the number?" Smith asked.

Sides said inflated enrollment numbers for the middle school grades were mistakenly included in the virtual academy's "cycle 2" report to the Arkansas Public School Computer Network. School districts and charter schools are required to submit information at certain times of the year to the Education Department. Those are referred to as "cycle" reports.

Greg Rogers, assistant commissioner for fiscal and administrative services and a charter panel member, confirmed that Sides reported corrected enrollment numbers within a few days of the cycle 2 reporting deadline, but that was past the time when the numbers could be corrected.

Rogers also said that the academy in a 2015 cycle report under-reported by half its 1,200 students who were eligible at the time for free or reduced-price school meals.

"It's all over the map on your reporting," Rogers told Sides about the academy's errors.

"I'm struggling with setting the cap at a higher number when I really don't know what your number is," Rogers said. "I can't have any confidence in your cycle 2 data."

Sides told the panel that the effort to provide accurate information to the state is a matter "that has our full attention" and "will make us better." He said the academy is undertaking employee training and imposing internal controls that are meant to ensure accuracy.

Sides withdrew the academy's enrollment amendment after some panel members said they were reluctant to approve the 1,000-student increase but would be willing to consider a smaller number. Sides said he would discuss the issue with the virtual academy's board of directors before submitting a revised request.

Earlier, the authorizing panel on Wednesday approved charter amendment requests from the state's second online charter school, based in Bentonville, and from KIPP Delta Public Schools in Helena-West Helena.

The panel also voted to summon leaders of Rockbridge Montessori charter school in Little Rock to the panel's March meeting to respond to concerns about the school's governance, finances and special education program.

The panel approved the Arkansas Connections Academy online charter school request for a waiver of state laws and rules that restrict a school from assigning a state-licensed teacher to a course or a grade level that is outside the teacher's area of licensure.

The panel approved KIPP's proposal to reconfigure the elementary and middle school grades and move its high school to a new location.

Once finalized by the state Board of Education, the KIPP Delta Elementary Literacy Academy will add fifth grade so the school will serve pre-kindergarten through grade five. KIPP Delta College Preparatory will serve grades six through eight instead of five through eight.

KIPP Delta Collegiate High School will be moved to 215 Cherry St. in Helena-West Helena, which is property already owned by the charter school system. The high school is currently at 320 Missouri St. and is made up largely of portable, modular buildings.

Metro on 02/16/2017

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