Petition seeks to void Alpine school's charter

PROVO (AP) — Hundreds of people have signed a petition asking the state to rescind the charter of Mountainville Academy, a new Utah County charter school set to open this fall in Alpine.

The petition also alleges that state Reps. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem and Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, have "ethical conflicts of interest" associated with the school and with Alpine city officials.

Both lawmakers are involved with U.S. Charter Development, the company contracted to build the school, which is owned by former state legislator Glenn Way.

Ferrin lists U.S. Charter Development as one of the businesses with which he's associated on his Declaration of Conflict of Interest for the Utah House of Representatives. Morley doesn't, but includes "charter school development, including construction and lease back of facilities."

Morley denies the accusations and says those opposed to charter schools have tried for years to prove a conflict. A legislative ethics committee investigation into the matter, however, found no wrongdoing, Morley said.

Petitioners also say that HB 172, sponsored by Ferrin and passed during the 2006 General Session unfairly mandates that city councils cannot turn away any public school.

Petition organizers will meet with the Utah Charter Schools Office board on May 20 to present the collected signatures, education specialist Marlies Burns said. The board has never revoked a school's charter, she said.

Charter schools are public schools that contract with the state board of education to operate without governance by the local school district. The schools receive per-pupil state funding but do not receive property tax money.