Heated discussion on 50/50 rule splits board vote

By Dylan Thompson
Burns Times-Herald

The Harney County School District  No. 3 Board of Directors met on July 20 in an attempt to settle the uprising animosity that has been circling around issues over the contract between the school district and Silvies River Web Academy, also known as the Silvies River  All-Prep Academy (SRAPA).

Katie Baltzor, the charter school’s newly appointed principal, began the conversation with a detailed presentation on the school’s determination to set off in a new direction. She explained that, contrary to the words of Tim King, the school’s former director, the school would no longer be advertised as a “money-maker,” but instead as a “viable solution to educating students in a non-traditional way.”

Baltzor explained that the school didn’t intend to target students already attending regular public school within the district. The school would, however, aim to provide education to students already being home-schooled or those who would naturally perform better in a charter school environment.

Controversy peaked when the discussion turned toward the 50/50 rule, a law designated to control the percentage of out of district students a charter school can claim. According to the law, over 50 percent of a charter school’s enrollment needs to come from within the school’s supporting district, allowing for the rest to be pulled from communities out of district.

Contrary to the law, however, the Silvies River Web Academy plans to enroll the same out of district students that finished last year’s school year with the academy, a total that exceeds 50 percent. Baltzor, and SRAPA Board Member Stacy Davies explained to the board that the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) had already signed off to allow the academy to proceed into next year’s school year with the disproportionate student ratio. At this time, the Department of Justice, who is currently investigating the legalities of the web academies’ past actions, has not.

A third party, the adhoc committee, composed of members of both the school board and the SRAPA, as well as concerned members of the public, had previously been created to study the pros and cons of continuing a contractual agreement between SRAPA and school district No. 3.

Tim Colahan, a member of the committee, was cautious about rushing into another agreement with the charter school. Quoting Spanish philosopher George Santayana, he said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” referring to the swift way the board had made an agreement with Tim King back in the 2008-09 school year.

Tammy Wheeler of the adhoc committee agreed with Colahan, and sternly advised the committee to seek legal council before agreeing to the action plan.

Still, the final decision to allow the academy to go against the 50/50 rule remained in the hands of the school board.

Baltzor presented the board with an action plan that, if approved by the board, would temporarily allow the academy to operate outside of compliance with the law. Despite objections from board member Ralph Dickenson, who argued that the board should keep in compliance with the law, and vice-chair Steve Bull, who echoed the adhoc committee’s previous advice to seek legal council, the  rest of the board voted to pass the action plan 3-2.

A second motion was carried unanimously to reopen the contract with the charter school based on a recommendation from ODE. The board stated that they would work with ODE, the SRAPA, and legal representation from the Oregon School Board Association to renegotiate the contract.

The school board thanked the adhoc committee for all of their work.

In other news:

• business manager Petrina White gave a preliminary report on the budget for the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Bob Sari explained that the budget is pending on the outcome of House Bill 4899.

• Nancy Walker stated that the new playground equipment at Slater Elementary School was up and will be ready by the start of the school year. She thanked Steve Hoyt and Andy Root for their donation of machinery and materials. She also thanked the community volunteers who helped erect the structure;

• Burns High School Principal Ron Wassom reported that the windows at the high school were coming along nicely, and that the Eagle Scouts had done a great job of painting the football field bleachers;

• The board unanimously passed motions to maintain the organization of the board, retaining Dennis Townsend as Chair, and Steve Bull as Vice-Chair. The organization of the new fiscal year was also unanimously maintained;

• The board then approved the hirings of Tami Postles and Rachel Akins as the new dance team head coach and volunteer coach respectively. They continued to approve the 2010-2011 spring coaching recommendations;

• Finally, the board approved the confidential and supervisory contracts.

The next Harney County School Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug 10, though a meeting to readdress the issues with the charter school was discussed to be scheduled for the week of July 25 – July 31.