Charter schools a logistics challenge

OREM — There's a chill in the air for would-be teachers in the Alpine School District, the kind that comes with a hiring freeze.

While the county's largest school district — which covers all of the valley from Orem north — anticipated adding more than 1,600 new students this coming fall, the opening of three new charter schools is creating logistics problems. The district believes nearly a third of that growth could be offset by students choosing to transfer to a charter school.

Alpine is not alone in its logistical dilemma involving charter schools, the fast-growing Nebo District that serves cities south of Provo is also finding it difficult to get a fix on the number of new teachers it will add this fall. While Nebo has stopped short of a freeze, it has limited current hirings to replacing existing teacher slots that have opened due to retirements or resignations.

Charter schools operate like private schools — with parents frequently governing the school — but receive state public education funds.

As in public schools, charter school students are tested on the state's core curriculum, but the schools have greater freedom in other subject areas. Many charter schools emphasize the arts, science or technology.

Alpine's freeze went into effect July 7 and will likely continue until the the district compiles a definitive list of students who are leaving, district spokeswoman Jerrilyn Mortensen said. That could be accomplished by the end of the month. The new school year starts at the end of August.

Alpine counted 52,825 students last academic year and projected 1,683 new students for the coming school year. Current projects have about 600 students opting for charter schools.

"We've done this (hiring freezes) many times because you're working with projected numbers and to overhire causes us a financial crunch," Mortensen said.

Alpine employes about 3,000 teachers, and district officials had anticipated hiring 450-550 teachers to cover growth and replacement needs. Thus far, only 350 hirings have occurred.

The new charter schools expected to draw students from the Alpine district are Lincoln Academy, Odyssey Charter School and the Utah County Academy of Sciences.

Three other charter schools — John Hancock Charter School, Timpanogos Academy and the Ranches Academy — already operate within Alpine's boundaries.