Red light for Topeka Charter schools
11:02 p.m. Thursday, January 4, 2007
Topeka — Adding more charter schools to Topeka, that's what some community members fought for Thursday night.
Despite a room packed full of charter school supporters, members of the Topeka 501 School Board put the brakes on the addition of three new charter schools in the Topeka area.
"I know your heart is with the young people of Topeka," Ned Nusbaum, a 501 Board member, told the crowd.
The push to turn Topeka's historic Sumner School into a charter school hit a bump, as the 501 School Board unanimously shut down motions to further the approval process.
"There were just too many things at this point, for something that's months away from possibly opening one or more of these charter schools that need attention," said Nusbaum.
During its weekly meeting, the School Board listened to members of community who support the idea of charter schools, which would serve as an outlet for students struggling in mainstream classrooms.
"I believe that, with a passion, that I sense the charter schools would have that this can leave our children fewer in the category of left behind or failing," said school supporter Cindy O'Neil.
"I just hope they give us a chance because that's all were asking for is a chance," said school supporter Carol Horton.
But in the end, School Board members cited a lack of details surrounding diversity, curriculum and funding for the schools, deciding not to push the charter school proposals through to the next level, a public forum.
"It's kind of being asked to buy a house without knowing the prices," said Peg McCarthy, a 501 Board member.
And while they left the meeting with a sense of disappointment, supporters of the schools say the door leading to opening these charter schools isn't closed just yet.
"We have funds, we have grants, we have promisary notes. We have someone to underwrite all of this," said Sandy Lassiter, a school supporter.
While proponents of the charter schools say they would be able to secured sufficient funding through grants and private donors, the Board wasn't convinced there would be enough to keep the school up and running.
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