Silver Lake Explores Charter School Options
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The Silver Lake Education Foundation wants to give Kosciusko County and surrounding area parents a choice in the education of their children.
Since November, the foundation's committee has been meeting to start a charter school in Silver Lake. They meet every other Monday. Their next meeting, open to the public, is at 6 p.m. Monday in the Silver Lake Town Hall.[[In-content Ad]]President Victoria Owens said after the Silver Lake school was closed in 2004, some community members said it would be a good idea to reopen the school. Last year, the building was bought by Michael Baur. The purchase of the school, Owens said, provided an opportunity for a school to go back into the building. The committee was formed.
Currently, the charter school is in its skeletal form, Owens said. The committee has applied for not-for-profit status and received its IRS papers, she said.
"We're trying to get community members to help us out, tell us what they want in the charter school. We really want to be community oriented," Owens said.
According to information from Ball State University, provided by the committee, "Charter schools are new, innovative independent public schools that are accountable for student results. They are designed to deliver programs tailored to educational excellence and the needs of the communities they serve. In effect, a charter school is a one-school public school district. A group of people ... write the charter plan describing the school's guiding principles, governance structure and applicable accountability measures."
To start up a charter school, Owens said, takes time. While the committee hopes to get the charter school application in to Ball State by June, realistically the application could be submitted in January.
"We want to make sure we get everything done right," said Owens.
If Ball State received the application and approved it right away in January 2010, the earliest the charter school could open would be fall 2011.
"There's no guarantee that we'd get approved right away," Owens said.
She said there would be no tuition involved for the charter school. It receives funding like any other community school, but less. Charter schools have no district, she said, so it can pull students from anywhere.
"Choice and community are our two big words," said Craig Hollopeter, committee member.
He said they want people to know they have a choice in schools and "we want to be community oriented."
At the meeting Monday, Owens said, "We want the community to come in and tell us what the community wants."
There is no agenda for the meeting, she said. They just want community input.
Asked what the benefits will be of having a kindergarten through grade six charter school, Owens said there are at least four.
First, she said, families will stay in Silver Lake instead of moving to Warsaw. Families will move back to Silver Lake just for the school. It will attract businesses. And, finally, she said, children will learn so much.
Owens said the committee is in contact with Ball State. They have traveled there to meet with officials on charter schools. She said they constantly are in contact with the university.
"We've teleconferenced with other charter schools," said Hollopeter.
"Any questions we have," Owens said, "(Ball State) has answered."
Hollopeter said the building will be kept up to par. If any improvements are necessary, he said, Baur is committed to taking care of them. Owens said they would rent the school space from Baur. Another option would be to build a news school if enough donations could be raised in the future.
But first the committee is looking for community input and demographic information. They are trying to get a survey out. Questions include "Who is most responsible for the situation of the public school system?"
"We do encourage the public to come and speak (at the meetings), not just listen," said Owens. "We want to know what everyone would like to see."
The committee has 11 members, but has room for one more, Owens said. Committee officers are Owens as president; Rick Kerlin, vice president; Steve Jungbauer, treasurer; and Annie Rockey, secretary.
For more information, call Owens at 260-352-2543, or e-mail [email protected]
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The Silver Lake Education Foundation wants to give Kosciusko County and surrounding area parents a choice in the education of their children.
Since November, the foundation's committee has been meeting to start a charter school in Silver Lake. They meet every other Monday. Their next meeting, open to the public, is at 6 p.m. Monday in the Silver Lake Town Hall.[[In-content Ad]]President Victoria Owens said after the Silver Lake school was closed in 2004, some community members said it would be a good idea to reopen the school. Last year, the building was bought by Michael Baur. The purchase of the school, Owens said, provided an opportunity for a school to go back into the building. The committee was formed.
Currently, the charter school is in its skeletal form, Owens said. The committee has applied for not-for-profit status and received its IRS papers, she said.
"We're trying to get community members to help us out, tell us what they want in the charter school. We really want to be community oriented," Owens said.
According to information from Ball State University, provided by the committee, "Charter schools are new, innovative independent public schools that are accountable for student results. They are designed to deliver programs tailored to educational excellence and the needs of the communities they serve. In effect, a charter school is a one-school public school district. A group of people ... write the charter plan describing the school's guiding principles, governance structure and applicable accountability measures."
To start up a charter school, Owens said, takes time. While the committee hopes to get the charter school application in to Ball State by June, realistically the application could be submitted in January.
"We want to make sure we get everything done right," said Owens.
If Ball State received the application and approved it right away in January 2010, the earliest the charter school could open would be fall 2011.
"There's no guarantee that we'd get approved right away," Owens said.
She said there would be no tuition involved for the charter school. It receives funding like any other community school, but less. Charter schools have no district, she said, so it can pull students from anywhere.
"Choice and community are our two big words," said Craig Hollopeter, committee member.
He said they want people to know they have a choice in schools and "we want to be community oriented."
At the meeting Monday, Owens said, "We want the community to come in and tell us what the community wants."
There is no agenda for the meeting, she said. They just want community input.
Asked what the benefits will be of having a kindergarten through grade six charter school, Owens said there are at least four.
First, she said, families will stay in Silver Lake instead of moving to Warsaw. Families will move back to Silver Lake just for the school. It will attract businesses. And, finally, she said, children will learn so much.
Owens said the committee is in contact with Ball State. They have traveled there to meet with officials on charter schools. She said they constantly are in contact with the university.
"We've teleconferenced with other charter schools," said Hollopeter.
"Any questions we have," Owens said, "(Ball State) has answered."
Hollopeter said the building will be kept up to par. If any improvements are necessary, he said, Baur is committed to taking care of them. Owens said they would rent the school space from Baur. Another option would be to build a news school if enough donations could be raised in the future.
But first the committee is looking for community input and demographic information. They are trying to get a survey out. Questions include "Who is most responsible for the situation of the public school system?"
"We do encourage the public to come and speak (at the meetings), not just listen," said Owens. "We want to know what everyone would like to see."
The committee has 11 members, but has room for one more, Owens said. Committee officers are Owens as president; Rick Kerlin, vice president; Steve Jungbauer, treasurer; and Annie Rockey, secretary.
For more information, call Owens at 260-352-2543, or e-mail [email protected]
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