Jordan board OKs new charter school

A charter school application in Davis District received some positive feedback but a red light Tuesday night, while another charter school application was approved in Jordan School District.

After unsuccessfully applying for charter school status in Jordan and Alpine school districts and at the state level, the American Preparatory Academy Tuesday finally received the Jordan Board of Education's OK to set up shop.

The school will focus on academic success and character development. It will enroll up to 400 kindergartners through eighth-graders and open next fall.

Students will learn from research-based curriculum and be required to do extensive writing and verbal presentations in attempts to prepare them for advanced high school studies. Courses include Latin, music and art.

Board president Ralph Haws said the school's application this time around assured it would hire certified teachers and occupy an up-to-code building. He welcomed the new school, but not as a competitor.

"We'll do all we can to support them and assure their success," he said. "It's another choice for the students of Jordan School District, an important part of the choice continuum."

Charter schools are governed by boards of parents and are aimed at providing additional educational choices within the public school system. Twelve such schools are operating statewide. They do not charge tuition.

Charter schools must follow the state core curriculum, participate in statewide tests and hire state-certified teachers. But they have freedom to

operate and teach how they want.

The Davis Board of Education voted to reject a charter school application Tuesday night but left the door open for the Ravenwood Academy to rework its application and apply again.

According to its mission statement and application, the Ravenwood charter school would target an at-risk student population and also would be northern Utah's first completely college-preparatory school.

The district had some concerns about the application, including its proposed budget, first-year projected student enrollment and whether the school would offer something the district isn't already offering in terms of at-risk student programs.

Some district officials also wondered whether the school's preference for high-scoring students would exclude children with disabilities.