Fox Lake May Get Charter School (WI)
October 21, 2010
Could a charter school help reopen the doors of the elementary school in Fox Lake?
Some members of the Waupun Area Board of Education think so.
Fox Lake residents began to feel the stirrings of optimism following a public hearing with School Board officials and administrators last week. The meeting was to discuss possible options for reopening the school.
"The School Board is embarking on a strategic planning session and we also felt that we couldn’t leave this Fox Lake situation sit any longer," said School Board member Bill Bruins.
The closing of the Fox Lake School along with two other elementary schools in Alto and Waupun in 2009 following a failed operations referendum left many Fox Lake residents disenchanted with the school district. As a result, many families flocked to file open enrollment applications with nearby school districts, including Randolph.
"I think the negativism surrounding the issue was also part of the divide," said Fox Lake resident and business owner Mary Perkins. "People felt more welcomed by Randolph. However, if we do reopen our school, it might take some time, but I believe the kids would come back."
In order to make reopening the school financially feasible, Bruins suggested creating a charter school within the building.
"Secondary education is in trouble all over the country, not just here — especially with funding issues and falling enrollment," Bruins said. "However, government is interested in funding public secondary education by way of innovative charter schools."
In addition to federal monies and tax dollars, Bruins said charter schools would be eligible to qualify for grant funding to offset operational expenses.
"If there’s a strong desire to have students in Grades K-8 here again, then I say let’s figure out a way that we can make that work. I think we have to be open to some of these other ideas," Bruins said. "You need to have a niche and have a reason for students wanting to come, and charter schools do that through theme-based education."
District Administrator Don Childs said timing may be in the district’s favor.
"If we move in the next year or two, there is nobody else around us right now at the elementary level that’s focusing on agricultural, environme ntal or a green curriculum. If we structure that charter school with a strong, research-based, best practice K-2 literacy program that transitions into the environmental focus pulling in other core subjects, you would probably have people lining up outside the door," he said. "If this is successful, it could be a model for the rest of the Waupun Area School District."
Fox Lake Common Council member Jan Okrasinski said it was important to move quickly.
"I think you better do it before Randolph builds a bigger school or more kids will be lost to open enrollment," Okrasinski said. "The longer they stay there, the harder it will be to get them back."
School Board member Glenn Wilson said there would be support from the School Board for the creation of a charter school that would bring in revenue through increased enrollment and grant funding.
"If we do something here, it has to at least break even," he said. "We’re cutting programs and staff throughout the district. It cannot be another drain on the budget."
In order to move forward, Childs said the task force would have to develop a plan and submit the plan to the School Board in December. If approved, an application would have to be submitted to the Department of Public Instruction by next April. If accepted, applications for federal grant money would need to be submitted to help secure funding for the school.
"There are a lot of foundations that are interested in public education that will cough up a lot of money to underwrite these operations with green curriculums," Childs said.
Perkins agreed the school would have to offer a premiere curriculum to attract students from the surrounding area.
"It’s not enough to just reopen our school. We have to have a reason for parents to send their kids here. We need a school that’s groundbreaking," Perkins said.
Childs said there were many charter schools with green curriculum and programs to model a program in Fox Lake after.
"We also have local expertise to draw on as well as from the state and federal level. There are a lot of people out there that want to support this kind of thing," Childs said. "I think this thing has some potential to grow legs."
Mayor Tom Bednarek thanked the School Board and administrators for offering a glimmer of hope.
"It’s more than a glimmer of hope," Bruins said. "We’re moving forward. We’re going to do what’s in the best interest of the Waupun Area School District but also for the residents of the Fox Lake area."