Avoiding school duplication is goal

AMERICAN FORK — Alpine School District leaders told Utah County legislators — again — that charter schools and public schools should work together to make sure educational services are not duplicated.

"It's not our intent as a district to bash charter schools," Alpine District Superintendent Vern Henshaw said. "We ought to be smart enough to not duplicate."

On Friday, school district chiefs met for the second time in what is expected to become monthly luncheons with members of the local delegation of the state Legislature. Among the topics, the group talked about charter schools, which are funded with public money but operate independent of school districts.

Six charter schools operate in the district's boundaries; four more will open in the fall. Statewide, 53 charter schools exist or are opening in the fall.

Alpine officials have said that charter schools are being built in the same neighborhoods as new schools for the district's 54,200 students. Alpine administrators worry that their new buildings will not be filled with students when charter schools open.

But legislators recommended Alpine District investigate why charter schools are so popular in the area. "Are there things that can be learned and incorporated?" said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo.

"There's . . . a reason why more charter schools are being formed in Alpine than anywhere else," said Mark Cluff, a member of the Utah State Board of Education. "The parents are talking with their feet."

Cluff said a reason could be the perception that the district does not respond to the needs of parents.

District leaders disagreed, providing examples of how they have created smaller school communities in different areas of the districts.

"In my opinion, the driver of charter schools is the low class size. It's like a private school," Alpine school board member Debbie Taylor said. "No special (education). No (English language learners). A homogeneous group. It's an upper-middle-class setting."

Many charter schools keep class sizes small — at about 25 students.

And just because you live next door to a charter school doesn't mean your children can go there. Charter schools hold "lotteries" to determine who gets in and who does not.

"We don't have that luxury," Alpine school board member Andrea Forsyth said.

"It's the cool thing to do," added school board member Donna Barnes. "In my neighborhood, it's, 'Are you chartering?' "