3 charter school applicants selected from among 15

The State Charter School Board made its long-awaited cuts Thursday, skimming three cream-of-the-crop charter applicants off the top of a pool that contained a dozen other prospective charter schools.

Guadalupe School, Canyon Rim Academy, both in Salt Lake City, and Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy in Pleasant Grove were the board's top picks and now await final approval from the State Board of Education in September.

But charter board members say it was a very difficult decision in which they could only choose three out of 15 charters. Last legislative session state lawmakers set a limit of five charter school approvals for the fall 2007 school year.

Two schools had already been approved by then, leaving only three slots left.

"None of us felt relieved, and we are all saddened walking away today," said Scott Smith, charter board president. "Every one of us could have seen eight or nine of these schools being approved and in operation next year."

Lawmakers ordered the cap while the state conducts a study to look at charter funding formulas and other current charter procedures along with an audit to look at the financial viability and business plans of charters. Both the study and audit should be finished later this fall.

Some legislators say the cap will only be imposed for the 2006-07 school year, but charter leaders are skeptical since there is no language in the law to remove it.

"The pressure was really on once they put that cap on . . . we realized that there was going to be extreme competition," said Marlies Burns, education specialist for the state charter office. "We are thrilled to have (the three new charters), though . . . we know we've got a good thing."

Since most of the charters had strong applications, the board rated and ranked the schools in areas like innovation, confidence in the school, financial plan, parental involvement and the urgency and need for the school. The top three were then chosen.

Though not pleased by the exclusion of a number of good applicants, Burns said they are excited to have the three schools on board once they are approved by the state school board.

While most charters start new, two of the schools that were picked have been in operation for decades.

Guadalupe is a public-private hybrid school that has been in Salt Lake School District for 36 years.