Ogden board targets charter schools

"It's a significant dollar amount. But what do we do? Raise class sizes or raise taxes?" said Martin Bates, Granite District assistant superintendent.

Ogden District sent a copy of its resolution to every school district and legislator in Utah.

Rep. Ron Bigelow, R-West Valley, who introduced the initial legislation, said, "The children of the taxpayers in charter schools deserve the same funding and the same education as in the district schools. They are both public schools."

Bigelow's bill failed, was modified and then lumped into SB2, along with about a dozen other school bills, at the end of the 2008 legislative session.

District officials and board members interviewed in Alpine, Provo and Davis school districts said they are examining Ogden's resolution and might discuss it at future board meetings.

Ogden area charter school officials say they aren't taking the Ogden School Board's actions personally. And they defend their right to be funded by public tax dollars.

Kathy Thornburg, principal of the dual immersion charter school Ogden Preparatory Academy, said she understands the district being upset over their loss of revenue.

"I'm sorry they feel that way but the money follows the child," Thornburg said. "We are providing education for kids who are in Ogden."

A total of 84 percent of OPA's enrollment lives in the Ogden District. OPA opened in fall 2003 and now has 572 students.

Jessie Kidd, principal of DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts, released a written statement Friday regarding Ogden District's resolution.

"Recognizing the complexities of this issue and the challenges all public schools face operating with significant fiscal shortfalls, we support the continuing efforts of (Ogden district) and the Legislature to tackle the issue of fair and responsible funding mechanisms for state school districts and charter schools."

DaVinci opened in fall 2004 and has an enrollment of approximately 325 in grades nine through 12.

Catherine Montgomery, principal of Quest, a technology-based charter school in West Haven, in Weber School District, said she can sympathize with Ogden district "but charter schools are public schools and we need funding also."

Quest, which opened in August, currently doesn't have students from Ogden District.

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