Board OKs 4 new charter schools

Four new charter schools are set to open their doors this fall following a vote of approval Friday by the Utah State Board of Education.

The charter schools, which are public schools governed by parents and teachers in an effort to provide more choices in education, join 13 others now operating in various parts of the state.

With almost no discussion, the board accepted the recommendations of its law and policy committee, which met last week to hear applicant presentations and discuss concerns.

Those charter school applicants winning approval are:

• The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science, a partnership involving Granite and Salt Lake City school districts and the University of Utah.
  The school will be housed in Cottonwood High School and receive support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It is the first of six state-sponsored charter schools included in Gov. Mike Leavitt's New Century High School initiative. University professors will be an integral part of the school, and students will have research and internship opportunities.

• Freedom Academy, a Provo school opening this fall and patterned after Timpanogos Academy. It will offer a rigorous curriculum that includes Spanish classes. Freedom Academy anticipates moving into Provo's old Maeser Elementary School building.

• Soldier Hollow School, which was formerly Sundance Mountain Charter School before moving out of the canyon. The school will focus on environmental studies and enroll 66 children in grades one through eight. Approval by the board means the school can continue its charter status under a new name and location.

• Discovery, a small Provo junior high school. The school plans to include mentors, service, hands-on learning opportunities, peer tutoring and work with a sister school in Guatemala. Discovery officials have said they hope to open the school in a small building in the city's East Bay area.

The board denied the application for Ravenwood Academy, which was twice denied by the Davis Board of Education. The school aims to provide at-risk and low-income students a college preparation experience.

Moab Community School's charter application was also denied.

Board member David Moss read a letter from the applicants stating even if denied they will remain dedicated to providing meaningful educational choice in Grand County. The Moab school, a proposed arts-based school for kindergartners through eighth-graders, has received strong opposition from the Grand School District.

The board also denied Mountain Valley Academy, a proposed Heber school for 125 first- through fifth-graders with a focus on hands-on education. Moss said the school may be able to work on its application and reapply in time to be approved for a fall 2004 opening.

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