Jordan District rejects charter school deal with American Preparatory Academy

Jordan School District has rejected a deal that charter school officials say would have saved the financially struggling district millions of dollars.

American Preparatory Academy, a charter school with campuses in Draper and West Valley City, offered to build a school wherever Jordan was having trouble handling growth. The charter would act as a regional school, charter officials said, but would operate at no cost to the district.

"They're turning down a free school," said Brian Allen, chairman of the State Charter School Board. "They should have to justify that to their taxpayers."

Jordan School District officials, however, say allowing American Preparatory to build would hinder more than help the district in its quest to manage growth. American Preparatory was approved as a magnet school for children learning English as a second language, and Jordan's minority population is dwindling.

"It makes no sense to build another school in an area where the population is declining," said Steve Dunham, district spokesman. "And while, yes, we could build it where we might need a building, their charter is still designed to target a specific demographic."

American Preparatory Academy approached Jordan earlier this year when the district announced plans to lay off 250 teachers, said Howard Headlee, chair of the school's governing board. The charter school was granted a federal $9 million Qualified School Construction Bond in 2009 but, because charter schools can't levy taxes, was having trouble securing an investor. Headlee said he hoped Jordan, in exchange for a much-needed facility, would back American Preparatory for the loan.

The school has a solid academic track record and, between its two campuses, boasts a waiting list more than 5,000 students long.

"It's a win-win situation," said Headlee, who is also president of the Utah Bankers Association. "We'd get to take advantage of this federal money. Jordan District would get a great school for students in a growing area. They wouldn't even have to raise property taxes."

The State Charter School Board agreed to tweak American Preparatory Academy's contract to facilitate the deal, Allen said. Rather than using a lottery system to select students, as most charter schools do, American Preparatory would serve students living within a geographic boundary. The school would no longer be considered a "magnet" school for minority students, but it would offer help for local English language learners.

"If it was going to help the district, we would have accommodated that," Allen said. "We ought to be doing things that benefit kids."