Small Town News

State rejects Gillett charter bid

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The State Board of Education rejected Gillett's application for a charter school Tuesday morning by a 7-0 vote.

The application, put forth by the Gillett Civic Association to start a K-12 charter school, the Gillett Heritage Academy, went before the Board after both the Dumas and the DeWitt School Boards voted against it. State Board members, who are required to give reasons for voting no on charter applications, said while they sympathized with the people of Gillett after the decision toclose Gillett High School this year, the case for a charter school had not been proven.

Board member Jim Cooper said the vote was "a tough one for me, being from a rural area, but that's the way the law is now." Gillett and other small school districts were required toeitherconsolidate with or be annexed to larger district in 2004 as part of the state's efforts to ensure adequate education under the Lakeview decision. "We've got to move forward," Cooper said.

Other Board members agreed that the case for a charter school vyas based more on emotions than than on facts. "My heart is with you," Board member BrendaGullett said, but "I cannot support thi s application."

In building the case for a charter school, the application "cited academic deficiencies in both the DeWitt and Dumas schools. "Students in the Gillett area schools, especially Dumas, are two or more years behind academically, and some have had poor school attendance records," the application states. Presenters for Gillett Heritage Academy said the school would focus on serving underachieving subgroups, especially black males.

Betty Brewer, administrative assistant for the Dumas School District, presented a number of statistics to refute these claims. The Dumas School District "has shown steady growth," Brewer said, and has a 94.8 percent attendance rate, which is above the state average.

Brewer also said there was a "disconnect," between the claims in the application to serve disadvantaged students and the actual demographics. Arkansas County's overall population is 75.1 percent white and DeWitt's is 80.9 percent white.

Making DeWitt's case, superintendent Gary Way man said that the application had been written "hastily" and contained a number of inaccuracies, including references to "southwest Arkansas."

Wayman also questioned where the minority and economically disadvantaged students would come from. There are only five black students in Gillett Elementary School currently; tvvoof them are male.

Dr. James Young, director of the School of Excellence in Humphrey and a consultant for the Gillett group, presented the proposed academic plan that included such innovations as spending more time on tasks, longer school days, opening the computer lab until 7 p.m. each day and starting Spanish classes in kindergarten. Young also questioned the validity of claims that the DeWitt and Dumas school district will lose money (state foundation funding) if students transfer to the charter school.

"|The school districts] don't own that money," Young said. "The money belongs to the students."

There were also questions about two letters of recommendation for the school that were in the original application, but were later modified. One came from State Rep. Robert Moore, whose district includes Gillett. The original letter, dated Aug. 12, 2009, gave, "my wholehearted support for the proposed Gillett Heritage Academy."

Moore said, "Given the need for economic development and revi-talization in our part of the state, the Gillett Heritage Academy represents a 'win-win' proposition for all involved."

However, in a letter dated Sept. 3, Moore said, "although I remain unequivocal in my support...I mustclearly relate to all concerned that I do not agree with statements in that application ostensibly intended to undermine or demean the area school districts at Dumas and DeWitt."

The other letter came from PCCUA DeWitt campus vice chancellor Carolyn Turner. She originally wrote a letter of support dated Aug. 27. In a telephone conversation with the DeWitt Era-Enterprise after the vote explained that she had asked that letter to be withdrawn and a second letter substituted. The original letter, however was included in the final package. .

But, there was also a letter from PCCUA chancellor Dr. Steven Murray addressed to Dr. Tom Cox, superintendent of the Dumas School District. Murray said that Turner had asked that a second letter be substituted which "more accurately reflected the college's position." He goes on to write that it is not the college's intent to "advocate for or to oppose the creation of any charter school in its area."

Young called the changes in the letters "political," and claimed Turner had been pressurde to retract her original statements, a claim Turner later denied.

Board member Dr. Carl Mays and several others voted no because they felt there were n6t enough students u support a high school. Board member Toyce Newton also said, "I'm not convinced," about the school's plan to target low income and at-risk students.

After the vote, Mays added that although he had voted against the charter, "I'm for that elementary school staying in the neighbor-hood."He urged the DeWitt Board and administrators to "get creative if you have to," and even consider making it a conversion charter school if necessary. Unlike an open enrollment charter school, a conversion charter school is a district school converted to a charter school but which remains part of the district.

Afterthe vote, Bill "Buzz" Menard, who had led much of the effort to start the charter school said he didn't know what the next step would be. "I feel the community will discuss it."

Many members of the 35-per-son delegation from Gillett were already discussing itand are ready to try again. "We'll definitely try again," Derek Menard said.

Wayman said in response to Mays' comments about Gillett Elementary School, that it will stay open "as long as we can substantiate the numbers."

The school's current enrollment is 65 students in grades K-5 and 16 3-and 4-year olds in the ABC preschool. Wayman said there are no plans this year to address any changes at Gillett Elementary School and commended the school's efforts to consolidate operations.



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© 2010 DeWitt Era-Enterprise DeWitt, Arkansas. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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