A group of Swain County parents interested in opening a charter school will have to wait until the legislature decides whether to expand a cap enacted when the state’s first charter school law was adopted in 1996.

The Swain group hopes to open in fall 2002. The proposed school would serve children from grades K-8. The group’s steering committee is currently looking for input from others in Swain County interested in charter schools.

“We recognize that different children have different needs, and while we recognize that the Swain County School System does an excellent job of meeting the majority of students’ needs, we believe that a charter school might offer an alternative to the existing schools,” said Heather Green, a member of the steering committee for the proposed school.

While the Swain group’s education mission may be clearly defined, its legal status is not. A consultant with the state Department of Public Instruction said the 100-school cap on charter schools was reached after the state board of education approved new applications at its March meeting.

“I am of the opinion that the discussion on how to proceed with new applications hasn’t taken place,” said Gail Taylor, the consultant in the state office of charter schools. “But the cap is full. No new schools can open now.”

Taylor said a study commission’s report on charter schools will be finished in time for the 2002 legislative session. That report was mandated as part of the five-year charter school experiment in North Carolina that was supposed to last from 1996-2001. The 1996 legislation allowing charter schools also mandated a cap of 100 during the first five years. Action may be taken in 2002 to raise the cap, but Taylor said she had no idea what the General Assembly would do.

Charter schools are public schools that generally use innovations in curriculum, thematic frameworks for teaching, and new approaches to school organization to provide an educational program that is distinct from the existing school system. Charter schools have open enrollment to the public, and, like other public schools, do not discriminate, have no religious affiliations, and do not charge tuition. Additionally, charter schools are held accountable for student achievement by the state board of education.

Legislation has recently been introduced in the General Assembly to remove the cap on the number of charter schools.

Roger Gerber, executive director of the state League of Charter Schools, said, “When enacted, this legislation will allow more parents to find the public school that best meets the educational needs of their children.”

Accommodating the needs of the children is, in fact, the main concern of the organizers of the Swain charter school.

“We are surrounded by charter schools. There are charter schools in Cashiers, Murphy, Brevard, Hendersonville, and two in Asheville. Yet none of these schools are accessible to the children of Swain County,” said Mary Ellen Hammond, another member of the charter school group.

The charter school group wants to work in collaboration with the Swain County School System.

“Charter schools receive no capital funds. Therefore, taxpayers are not paying the building costs of the charter schools currently in operation,” said Gerber. “By lifting the cap that limits the number of public school options, legislators can provide weary taxpayers a cost effective solution to the problem of school overcrowding.”

Some of the specific features of the Swain charter school would include low teacher-to-student ratios, an integrated curriculum, and required parental involvement. While the steering committee has completed initial strategic planning, organizers are also seeking participation from members of the community and plan to hold a public forum on May 7 in the Bryson City Courthouse. Individuals who would like more immediate information can contact Katy Travitz at 488.4406 or Carter Petty at cpetty7931@yahoo.com. Details about charter schools can also be found on the Internet at www.nccsrc.org and www.ncpublicschools.org.

 

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The Smoky Mountain News