October 2, 2007

In their community presentations, charter applicants have proposed to build a second high school for Durango at no expense to the taxpayer. (Applicants are referring to the capital construction and bond financing costs, because operating costs will be funded by state and local property taxes.)

Charter school law circumvents the electorate and injects a “supply-and-demand” model in local school districts. Parents and community members who want to establish an independent educational program gain access to taxpayer dollars by contracting with either the local school district or the state’s Charter School Institute. Charter schools prove their “worth” to the community by attracting sufficient student enrollment to survive rather than securing voter approval.

Animas High School promises to offer an exciting educational program modeled after the successful High Tech High in San Diego. Its success, however, hinges on appropriate enrollment estimates and whether the community is ready to support creation of a second high school by choosing to enroll in the charter program. My comments focus on these two areas.

In Spring 2002, the district contracted with an independent consultant to conduct a “mail-in public-hearing questionnaire” prior to the November bond referendum on the proposed Facilities Master Plan and the $2.4 million mill-levy override. At the time we administered the questionnaire, support for a second high school was an emerging issue. We mailed the questionnaire to 13,781 registered-voter households and received 1,030 mailed responses, representing a return rate of 7.5 percent.

While not a scientifically random survey, the questionnaire nevertheless allowed us to gauge public reaction to the proposed Facilities Master Plan. Responses clearly indicated that the community was not ready to support a second high school. Consider the following:

· One-third of all respondents (350 out of 1,030) supported construction of a second high school

· 40 percent of parents with school-aged children – a total of 132 out of 330 parents who responded – indicated support for a second high school.

· In comparison, charter applicants say they have collected 209 letters of intent to enroll a student.

· Of that number, 121 families have indicated an intent to enroll a student at Animas High School during the next four years.

The number of letters collected to date does not suggest that community-wide support for a second high school has grown during the past five years.

As we delved deeper into the second high school issue, we discovered that the community clearly did not want two “different” high schools if the district were to pursue construction. Rather, the community said a second campus should offer facilities and programs equal to those at Durango High School. The community did not want students to be stigmatized or labeled because of the school they attended. The community also did not want the second high school to adversely affect programs at Durango High or other district schools. The majority of high school students with whom we met also said they did not want a second high school because they did not want to continue the rivalries they’d experienced as Miller and Escalante middle school students.

The district estimated that operating costs for a second high school that offered equitable facilities and programs would increase district expenditures by $1.8 million a year – about 75 percent of the proposed $2.4 million mill levy override. Given the pressing academic needs of district students, the desire to raise teacher salaries, and the electorate’s ambivalence, the district decided to renovate and expand Durango High and forgo construction of a second high school.

I believe this historical information is important, because district and county K-12 enrollment has remained relatively static during the past five years, indicating the following:

· The charter school’s impact on the school district may be more significant than applicants have estimated.

· The charter school may have more difficulty recruiting students than its application anticipates.

District enrollment dropped with the region’s economic downslide following 9-11 and the Missionary Ridge fires. Enrollment began a rebound two years ago with the state’s economic recovery. Enrollment returned to pre-fire levels in Fall 2006.

In the meantime, La Plata County’s overall population grew by 9 percent between 2000 and 2006, according to the U.S. Census. In contrast, total K-12 enrollment in Durango, Bayfield, and Ignacio school districts – the charter’s proposed market – dropped by 3.2 percent during that same period. In Durango, 9th- through 12th-grade enrollment has dropped about 5.6 percent since 2001.

These data indicate that the charter school’s enrollment most likely will not come from new growth, but from existing student populations in Bayfield, Ignacio, and Durango. In a worst-case scenario for Durango, the charter school could reduce Durango High School’s enrollment by 28 percent in four years. Is that likely? It’s difficult to gauge the charter school’s chance for success, given the community’s lack of support for a second high school only five years ago, the historical lack of support for the district’s “other” high school program offered by the former Excel Charter School, the lack of open-enrollment students from Bayfield and Ignacio, and the static enrollment growth in the region.

Animas High School advocates offer a compelling vision for an alternative educational program, and only enrollment growth (not the solid, long-term, and sustainable approval of taxpayers on a ballot referendum) will determine whether that vision – and ultimate delivery of the promise – is viable in Durango. Therein lies the heart of the issue: Chartering Animas High School entails both a financial and public relations risk for the district, and the school board will need to weigh how much of a risk it’s willing to take.

If the board elects to pursue a charter contract with Animas High proponents, it may want to consider the following:

· A viable minimum enrollment to open and remain in operation with a clear timeline for closure if the charter school fails to meet enrollment targets. If the school is forced to close, it will be clear to the public that the marketplace did not support the school. Conversely, if the charter school is successful, it may provide an impetus for the district’s other high school programs to change in response to the competition.

· A plan that would give Durango High School, Animas High School, and Durango Academy fair and equitable access to Durango middle schools to recruit students. Healthy competition can inspire change and improvement; unhealthy competition results in value judgments that are antithetical to equity and justice. We must be careful not to create a “better-than/not-as-good-as” environment in our district, which can be destructive to collaboration between schools, and ultimately, to student progress.

· A plan to interact with Bayfield, Ignacio, and Mancos school districts. Durango, Ignacio, and Bayfield school boards and administrations have worked collaboratively in the past and have never actively competed or recruited students from their neighboring districts.

ü If Animas High becomes a district charter school, will the district sanction its active marketing and recruiting efforts in Bayfield and Ignacio?

ü What will the impact be on the 9-R’s current relationship with those districts if Animas High actively recruits students from those communities?

· A plan to engage the public in determining program reductions at Durango High School and other schools should Animas High School successfully draw 28 percent of Durango High School’s student enrollment. It is interesting to note that advocates have promoted choice as a compelling reason to approve the charter application. However, its success may actually reduce choice and opportunity district-wide if the district is forced to cut $3 million from its budget during the next four years as a result of PPOR loss to Animas High School.

· A plan to address student needs if the charter school must close. How will charter school credits compare to DHS credits? Will charter students be penalized if the school closes and credits do not align with Durango High School?

· A plan to ensure that the district does not absorb any financial losses the charter school has incurred if it must close. (Both the Community of Learners and Excel charter school closures resulted in significant debts that the district had to cover.)

Conclusion:

Animas High School has a compelling vision and difficult political, social, and financial challenges that could threaten its success. Data indicate that the county’s K-12 enrollment has remained static. The charter’s student enrollment most likely will be drawn from existing school enrollments and not population growth. Little evidence exists to indicate that district families have changed their minds about supporting a second high school. Therefore, chartering Animas High School poses a high degree of financial risk for the school district and academic risk for students due to the loss of revenues and consequent program cuts.