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By MARK GUYDISH markg@leader.net
Tuesday, March 04, 2003 Page: 5A
KINGSTON – When the Wyoming Valley West School Board unanimously rejected a
new charter school, it left Maya Noble at a loss for her once-traumatized
child.
“Kids who were victims of abuse often can’t handle the large classes of
public schools,” Noble said. One of her six children had been abused by a
“now-absent family member,” and the impact was so powerful she had to
home-school the child for several years to “bring the kid back.”
The board took only a few minutes to reject the application for the Helen
Murray Charter School, a proposed elementary school dedicating roughly 40
percent of class time to the arts. A charter school is a type of public school
free of many state regulations but requiring school board approval.
In rejecting the application, the board cited eight reasons given in a
committee report, including that the charter school would “largely duplicate
existing services and instruction” offered by the district schools.
Noble, who had arrived minutes after the meeting, insisted facts don’t bear
that out. Her children have returned to the public school system and are
involved in the music programs.
“If the district is so art-based, why don’t they provide instruments for
the kids?” Noble asked. “Why don’t they repair the instruments they have?”
She said she believes her child recovered from the abuse, in large part,
through involvement with music.
Mary Ann Gizenski, one of the people involved in trying to get the charter
school going, mocked the contention that it would duplicate services.
She pointed out that three district schools – Schuyler and Main Street
elementaries and the middle school – failed to meet new standards set by the
Federal “No Child Left Behind” act.
“If (the charter school) does duplicate services, we’re in big trouble,”
Gizenski said. “I don’t think anyone wants to duplicate these schools.”
Attorney Joseph Murray, who is spearheading the drive for the school, now
has two choices: he can appeal the decision to the state, or he can amend the
application and resubmit it.
An appeal requires 1,000 adult signatures, and would be filed with the
court of Common Pleas. It is then forwarded to the state appeals board. There
is no time limit for either step, but it can take more than 90 days for a
decision to be issued once an appeal is accepted.
Murray wants to open the school, at 147 Wyoming Ave., Kingston, on Aug. 27.
He said he won’t make a decision on whether to appeal or to resubmit the
application until he sees the district’s full report, but he expects
resubmission to be faster.
The board promised to send a copy of the report to Murray by certified mail
today.
The other reasons the board rejected the charter were:
No evidence of “community, student or parental support” at public
hearings.
Failure to sufficiently address state requirements for academic standards,
accommodation of students with special needs, or teacher professional
development.
Safety concerns for the facility, a lack of financial plan to support the
program, and a lack of a health benefits plan that would meet state standards.
Murray said the board had not asked him to address any of those issues,
despite having the application since November.
“If they had said ahead of time `here are the problems,’ I would have
addressed them,” said Murray, who promised to continue pushing for the
school.
“All anyone had to do was pick up the phone and call me.”
Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7161.