Courts could decide rent issue
By Diette Courrégé
Members of the Charleston County School Board disagree on whether the district should have to pay rent for charter schools, but they are united in their desire to find out what the law requires them to do.
Board members voted unanimously Monday night to ask the courts to interpret seemingly conflicting laws on this issue.
The funding question has created a significant amount of controversy during the past few years.
State law mandates that charter schools pay their building costs out of the money they receive from the district. But a law that applies only to Charleston County requires the district to give to charter schools what it provides to every other public school.
The debate about what the board should do came to a head Monday night after a request from Greg Mathis Charter School in North Charleston.
The school is in such dire financial straits that it doesn't have enough money to make payroll Friday. Part of the school's problem is that about half of its money is tied up in rent and utility payments.
Mathis leaders expect to resolve the problem in a few weeks when the district readjusts its payments to the school based on enrollment, which has increased. But until then, they don't have the money they need, so they asked for either a loan or advanced payment.
School board member Arthur Ravenel Jr. immediately told school representatives that the district was violating state law and the school should sue the district because they were being denied what was owed to them.
Board member Toya Green pointed out that the issue had been debated before and that it would take a court to clarify what the intention of the law is.
Board member Nancy Cook then suggested that the board ask a court to interpret the law. Without the court's interpretation, she predicted the debate would continue for the next few years.
"I think it needs to be clarified," she said.
Green agreed, saying that she thought this was what the board has needed. She said she hopes the court could resolve the issue either way so the board could apply some consistency in its decisions.
The controversy surrounding the board's funding responsibility was especially divisive with the Charleston Charter School for Math & Science. The board generally agreed the school could use the former Rivers Middle School campus but they disagreed about whether the school should have to pay rent. They eventually decided to give the charter school free space in the district's building and to pay the cost of its trailers, costs that the board has not picked up for any other start-up charter school in the county.
The decision to ask the court for clarification should help the board in the future, but it didn't address Greg Mathis Charter School's problem.
Board Chairman Hillery Douglas said the district could provide a letter that would show the amount of money it was projected to receive, and the school could take that letter to banks to obtain a loan to make payroll.
The school district plans to evaluate Mathis soon and make a recommendation on whether it should be allowed to remain open.
Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
captivated (anonymous) says...
I just can't picture a school principal or leader going to Bank of America with a promissary note from the school board, trying to get a loan to pay the teachers and the light and water bills. Tell me again, exactly what is it that the school board does?
October 14, 2008 at 7:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
When Charter schools came into being the PROMISE was that the school would pay for itself. Charter schools are effectively private schools.
Counties are already burdened by the NEW cost of transporting students across district lines due to laws like "No child left behind". Buses now criss-cross the county and they pass "failing" schools and passing schools to take students to another school. The standards for passing/failing were set into law to gradually increase. The bar is now set so high that the number of "failing" schools will soon outnumber the passing schools in the entire state.
Charter schools are yet another brilliant idea. They were set up to stress achievement in one subject or another. The idea was to allow children to accel in their talent. The general agreement was "Okay, but you must pay for yourself. This is a luxury that should not be placed upon the tax payer." We will not bus the students to a charter school. We will not provide a building for a charter school. We will only pay for the neccessities of teaching students. You can pick a shade tree to teach them under. We will provide the teachers as long as you provide the transportation and the shade tree.
Some may argue that it's not fair for the charter school student. I will argue that there is a school in their neighborhood that will provide a general education that ALL of South Carolina is provided. After the original agreement, charter schools are asking for rent payment because it cannot pay for itself. Tommorrow it will ask for transportation and eventually the taxpayer will pay for some students transportation from Hollywood to Awendaw. That is your tax dollar at work. I hope the court takes the oncoming reccession into consideration. A tax increase for public education is the last thing needed in Charleston County.
October 14, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
holly123 (anonymous) says...
Charter schools are public schools. Why can't you understand that everyone has an equal chance at getting in.
If This states standards were not so low when NCLB was enacted, This district would not have to make such leaps to get to proficient by 2014. Proficient means expert so I guess NCLB wants 6th graders to be expert 6th graders. Whats wrong with that?
October 14, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
Charter schools are PRIVATE schools.
Students ride a bus to a public school. Students ride in mom's car to a charter/private school. "Everyone" does not have an equal chance of getting in. "Everyone" does not have a mother and a father at the house at night. Some students awake on their own accord. Some students fix their own breakfast. Some students do their own homework without assistance. Some students walk to school. Other students walk to the bus stop. Public schools cater to ALL. Why do you not understand that?
THIS state standards are higher than all others. That is fact. This fact has been attested to by every accredited agency taking such measurements. I'm willing to bet that over 35% of the schools in South Carolina do not meet proficient in 2009.
Have you never had a job or such that set the bar based upon the results of last year. The mantra that you live by is that you can always do better. This method works in the real working world. It works because there is always some poor sucker at the top that always takes the fall. Eventually the measurement is reassessed and something attainable is now set as the goal. But the following year the bar is raised. It is always raised. The bar is always raised because your BOSS always wants you to have a goal. You accomplished the lower goal last year. Let's move it higher this year. Let's look at the same proficient 6th graders that you referenced. A percentage of proficient 6th graders last year would not be proficient this year. Why is that? Would that be because proficiency is subjective to a measurement?
Proficiency is always subjective to opinion. I don't mind the game that I have described. I actually think it's beneficial. I work in such in environment and I know that people care. I just don't like the fact that MOST cannot see the forest for the trees when it comes to public education. Would you believe that some politicians actually have a goal of bankrupting the public school system through transportation and other costs?
There are some people still want public schools to fail. That person is somewhat similar to the person that does not want their white child attending school with that black child. If you listen closely, you will hear the same individuals clamouring for tax dollars for private schools. If you check the history of most of the private schools in South Carolina you will recognize that MANY opened their doors in the early 60's. For some reason the opening dates are relatively close to the supreme court decision of Brown vs. the Board of Education. I wonder why that is? I assume this is too much imagination in your perfect world though......
October 14, 2008 at 10:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
holly123 (anonymous) says...
Zod,
I admit that a some private schools opened in the 60's in light of Brown v but what does that have to do with 2008? Because our grandparents and parents chose to stick their heads in the sand WE should be punished and denied an education in a safe school that meets federal NCLB standards?
Charter schools have busses. Please check your "facts"
October 14, 2008 at 10:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Zod (anonymous) says...
I only used Brown to display that there is a faction of citizens that support every unconventional method utilized today in public education to disband public education altogether. I fully realize that there are those who have the kids best interests in mind. I only wish to expose the fact that there are many behind the well wishers with deceit on their minds. They want public money for private schools. They do not have achievement or accreditation on their minds. It's about the environment.
As to the point about busing to a charter school, I guess the Charter school is already contributing more to the high cost of public education than I thought. Do you realize the logistical nightmare that is caused by Charter in combination with NCLB? NCLB was a farce from the beginning and it has served as nothing more than a job creator for unskilled employees within every district. Charter is now running a close second in the waste of a tax dollar.
October 14, 2008 at 10:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rhojack (anonymous) says...
Ravenel suggested to Greg Mathis' Administration to sue the school?!! WTF! Ravenel does not care a rats behind about the students at Greg Mathis.
If I recall correctly......isn't the Math & Science Charter School, Ravenel's baby? Isn't this the same school he called the Superintendent the "B" over? If so! Someone better wake up!! He found FREE SPACE for the students at that school. He should be able to find free space for ALL charter schools. Greg Mathis students are stuck behind the Wal-Mart warehouse. Fair is fair!!!!!
October 14, 2008 at 11:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
holly123 (anonymous) says...
Charter schools don't waste tax money... CCSD wastes your money. Last week in a report in the P&C they admitted that they tried to hire 11 people to verify the addresses of students attending magnet schools. Come on! Can't that job get done from people on staff? Magnet schools have busses that are bussing far more children then charter schools and from much farther away!
What about the "Climate Director"? His job is to survey teachers, students, and parents on how satisfied they are with the bathrooms and lunch room. No waste there, right?
The fact that they wont let Charleston Charter for Math and Science use the Rivers Building b/c it is an earthquake danger but they still run the A/C set on 70 24/7... Is that a waste?
October 14, 2008 at 11:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
holly123 (anonymous) says...
Ravenel WANTS them to get the money for Greg Mathis. He supports All charter schools. He wants the district to provide space for Charleston Development Academy, too. He believes in choice for everyone, not just the lucky few who manage to get a golden ticket to one of the magnet schools.
October 14, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mlm (anonymous) says...
In South Carolina charter schools are public schools. In Charleston County magnet schools are PRIVATE schools. Check out the waste at CCSD. It's an endless run on your wallet. Show me a magnet school that accounts for what it draws against the entire system. Show me any school under CCSD management that accounts for anything other than school report cards. For every successful charter school there is full accountability for what it does and for whom. We can only wish that CCSD would follow such a path, but it won't.
I second what Holly123 asked. Yes, tell me, why is the Rivers building being slowly demolished by CCSD? Why run the utilities full throttle since CCSD officials have punch holes through the classroom walls? Is it really about earthquakes or is it just to keep charter schools out? CCSD is doing real damage to this public school while public school students are being kept out. This is exactly what some segregationists did 50 years ago. Don't be too quick to place labels on these people.
The good guys aren't as good as they say and the bad guys might not be as bad at you think. Nothing has really changed over the last 40 years among those who are mismanaging our local schools, except they want us to believe they are enlightened liberals. They're still bleeding the system for themselves and blaming others as they tell us we have to do more with less.
Sorry, but standing in the school house door is still blocking the public from getting the education they sorely want, a quality education that CCSD isn't giving them. Maybe Toya Green can address this for us. Sounds like a board policy question to me. Good luck getting her to return your call.
There are some good examples of charter schools here in Charleston doing much more with less. CCSD could learn much from them, in spite of all the flack they have to dodge from the office of the superintendent.
The real story is Gregg Mathis could have made it, but for CCSC's determination to kill it slowly. If it takes a law suit to expose how CCSD operates to exploit others, then it's time and money well spent.
October 14, 2008 at 9:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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