Groups inform state of desire to operate 16 new charter schools

Letters seek 6 for LR area; 4 for PB

Thirteen organizations have notified the Arkansas Department of Education that they intend to apply to operate 16 new open-enrollment charter schools -- including six in Greater Little Rock and four in Pine Bluff -- beginning in 2018-19.

Other new schools are proposed for locations in Bentonville, McGehee, Dermott, Paron, Fort Smith and Weiner. None of the organizations currently operate charter schools in this state.

The one-page letters of intent from the various organizations are a first step in the lengthy process for obtaining the state charters -- or contracts. Charter schools are taxpayer-supported schools that are operated by boards of directors who are independent of the locally elected school boards in the surrounding traditional public school districts.

Scott Smith, executive director of the Arkansas Public School Resource Center organization -- which supports rural school systems and charter schools -- said Wednesday that he was pleased with the number of letters.

"It shows a continuing, ongoing interest. It's encouraging," Smith said. "It will be interesting to see how many applications come out of these letters of intent and what they look like."

Full applications to operate charter schools are due to the Arkansas Department of Education by April 27 for review by the Education Department's staff. Decisions on the applications will be made by the state Charter Authorizing Panel in August and by the state Board of Education in the fall.

In the past, not all of the organizations that submitted letters of intent actually followed through with detailed applications. Even if all the organizations do submit applications, only five open-enrollment schools can be approved by the Arkansas Education Board for the 2018-19 school year on the basis of a formula set in Arkansas Code Annotated 6-23-304. The statute establishes a floating cap on the number of permitted open-enrollment charter schools.

That state cap is currently set at 29 for the 2018-19 school year. There are now 24 charter schools or charter school systems in operation, and no new kindergarten through 12th grade charter schools have been approved for the upcoming 2017-18 school year. That results in the five charter slots that are available for the 2018-19 applicants.

The letters of intent for new charter campuses -- including six for the greater Little Rock area -- come at a time when the Little Rock School District has decided to close three of its campuses and re-purpose a fourth. That could result in three vacant schools in the 2017-18 school year unless proposals are made by outside entities and are accepted for their use.

The Arkansas Legislature was considering Senate Bill 308 that would have given charter schools greater access to lease or purchase unusued or underused buildings owned by traditional school systems such as the Little Rock district. The bill was defeated by the House of Representatives on Wednesday but not before it was criticized by some Little Rock School District advocates, including Superintendent Mike Poore and Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola.

Smith said in an interview that Senate Bill 308 would not have applied to the 2018-19 cycle of charter school applicants had it passed into law. That's largely because it would require state officials to compile a list of available buildings by March 1.

"Even if the bill were to go effective today, it is already past March 1 so it wouldn't be until the next March before the state would have to produce a list of facilities that might be available to be used," he said. "There was no way as it relates to the lease aspect of this that it could have been relevant to this cycle."

Of the six letters of intent for charter schools in the Little Rock area, two are for high schools, one for an elementary, one for a middle school and two for kindergarten through eighth or ninth grades. Two letters stated possible locations for the schools. Two schools are proposed by out-of-state organizations.

Shawn Toranto, chief executive officer of the Einstein Group Inc., which operates four charter schools for 1,400 pupils in New Orleans, said she believes an Einstein Charter School can positively affect Little Rock in the same way the schools have helped Louisiana. The proposed Little Rock school, which does not yet have a location, would feature a data driven, individualized learning program that focuses on science, technology and math for 675 pupils in kindergarten through eighth grades.

"We're in love with y'all's community and the people," Toranto said. "We're looking forward hopefully to a partnership and bringing a wonderful community school to one of the areas of Little Rock that provides a competitive education in a responsive and respectful school environment."

Other organizations that submitted letters of intent for schools in Little Rock are:

• Zeal Ministries, which is planning the Career Academy for Public Service Charter School for up to 350 students in grades nine through 12 who have interest in military, police and fire protection jobs. Geraldine Mallette of Hensley submitted the letter of intent.

• Friendship Arkansas Inc., which is planning the Friendship Aspire Academy -- Greater Little Rock, a liberal arts and college preparatory program for 650 students in kindergarten through fifth grades. Joe Harris, chief operating officer and national executive director of the Friendship Education Foundation that operates charter schools in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Baton Rouge, submitted the letter of intent. The organization also submitted a letter of intent for a similar school in Pine Bluff.

• Aviate Through Knowledge Inc., which is planning the Prolific Learning Arts Academy. It would offer up to 200 "underserved" students in ninth through 12th grades a curriculum that fosters skills in math, literacy, science, the arts, social responsibility and entrepreneurship at a former American Taekwondo Association building at 6210 Baseline Road. Edmond Davis of Mabelvale, executive director of Aviate Through Knowledge Inc., submitted the letter.

• ScholarMade Educational Services would establish academies featuring personalized learning and strong partnerships with parents, businesses and other stakeholders for up to 570 students in kindergarten through ninth grades in the Little Rock or Pulaski County Special school districts. Phillis Nichols-Anderson, who was previously associated with Lighthouse Academy charter schools in Arkansas, is listed as the contact for the ScholarMade schools.

• Transforming Life Ministries Care Center, which is planning the Transforming Life Academy with a curriculum emphasis on science, technology, math and economics as well as vocational certification for 100 pupils in grades six through eight at a building at 2501 S. State St. in Little Rock. Phyllis Nichols of Maumelle, director of outreach for the Transforming Life Ministries, submitted the letter.

Other organizations submitting letters of intent for charter schools are from:

• NuBridge Charter School that would serve 250 children in kindergarten through grade six. Linda Gilbert Davis of White Hall submitted the letter of intent.

• Pathways Management Group Inc. would open the Pathways In Education-Pine Bluff and Pathways in Education-Fort Smith to serve in grades nine through 12 who are up to 21 years old and who have dropped out of traditional schools or are at risk of dropping out. Cheri Shannon, senior director of charter development for the Pathways Group of Pasadena, Calif., submitted the letters of intent.

• Southeast Arkansas Academy Inc. would open the Southeast Arkansas Academy for 200 in grades nine through 12 at 1501 West 73rd Ave. in Pine Bluff. Pat Hart, of White Hall submitted the letter.

• Weiner Academy of Agriculture and Technology Foundation, which is proposing the Weiner Academy of Agriculture and Technology in Weiner in the Harrisburg School District for up to 400 students in kindergarten through 12. Greta Greeno of Fisher submitted the letter.

• Focus STEM Academy of Benton County to serve 320 pupils in fifth through eighth grades. Johnathan Cummings, chairman of the board, submitted the letter.

• McGehee Desha Alumni Community Center Inc., which would operate the McGehee P3 Academy that would serve up to 60 third graders. Rubye Graham-Emerson, executive director of the community center, submitted the letter of intent.

• The McGehee Desha Alumni Center Inc. which proposes to open Morris Booker Memorial Charter High School in Dermott that would be a boarding school for as many as 100 male students ages 12 to 18. LeRoy Emerson of Apopka, Fla., submitted the letter of intent.

• Paron Community Trust that would operate the Paron Charter School for 120 pupils in kindergarten through fifth grades. Jamie Mullins, a trustee of the trust, submitted the letter.

Metro on 03/09/2017

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