Westlake charter school admission plan criticized

Keller, Northwest district officials oppose academy

It's not the number of pupils who might be wooed away by a proposed charter school in Westlake that bothers them. It's not even the $5,000 in state funds that would follow each student out the door.

What really steams Northwest and Keller school district superintendents is the idea that Westlake Academy charter school could choose which students attend the school. The superintendents say they worry that not all children who want to attend the proposed K-12 charter school for 800 students would be able to, including those with special needs.

"I feel very strongly that you should not be able to use public money to create an elite system," Keller Superintendent Charles Bradberry said. "If you are going to use taxpayer money, it should be on a more even playing field."

It is an argument Bradberry and Northwest Superintendent Keith Sockwell will take to the State Board of Education this week in hope that the state will deny Westlake's charter school application.

Westlake Town Manager Trent Petty said there is no validity to the superintendents' argument.

"I think they are overreacting," Petty said. "For those willing to choose an alternative, I have a hard time telling parents why they shouldn't have the right, especially one endorsed by the state."

The application states Westlake will serve children with special needs, Petty said. The school plans to take children on a first come, first served basis, he said.

But the superintendents say Westlake's application requires that children provide a recent report card, state test results and an essay or portfolio, which could be used to screen students.

The superintendents also argue that the town would have the luxury of drawing the school's geographic boundaries, which includes housing developments where home prices start at $650,000.

"It's an attempt to break off a certain group of people which happen to be wealthy," Bradberry said. "I want to make sure they will take every kid that comes, just like I do."

Westlake officials said they have no intention of building a school for the wealthy elite. They are trying to build a community, they said. Their small town of 207 is on the verge of attracting international corporations. Hundreds of homes are being built, and a school would tie it all together.

"To me, if you want to talk about what is fair and just, is it fair for Westlake residents to pay fees to Northwest ISD without having one kid from Westlake educated there?" Petty said. "It would be different if we had 600 kids in Northwest ISD."

Westlake touches three school districts: Carroll, Keller and Northwest.

If approved, Westlake's school would open in fall 2003 for children in first through sixth grades. It would add kindergarten and seventh grade in the second year and one grade every year after that.

The school would offer multiple languages, Advanced Placement courses. Officials hope eventually to offer the International Baccalaureate program, touted as one of the most difficult high school curriculums in the country.

Westlake is one of six applicants being considered by the state for an open-enrollment charter school.

A five-member State Board of Education planning committee, charged with reviewing all charter school applications, is expected to award only one this week.

Westlake appeared to be the favorite after a presentation to the committee last month. Committee members praised Westlake officials for their innovation and expressed support for the school.

If Westlake is awarded the charter, it would be the first municipality in the state to operate a charter school.

The proposed Westlake Academy piqued Roanoke parent Julie Smestad's interest when she learned that charter schools are like public schools: free.

"We're supportive of it because of the curriculum they're going to offer, which far outweighs anything around here," she said.

The foreign language classes are of particular interest, said Smestad, who repeatedly has asked the Northwest school district to start teaching Spanish in elementary school.

"It's absolutely incredulous to me that this state that sits on the border of a Spanish-speaking country doesn't offer a foreign language class from kindergarten," she said.

Westlake Alderman Bill Frey envisions a school with a rigorous curriculum that gives children "the flexibility to transfer here from Europe when companies locate here," he said.

"We have had that input from some developers who have mentioned to us this would really be good for this area," Frey said.

Northwest's Sockwell said attracting business should not be the reason for wanting to educate children.

Northwest is in a vulnerable position because it is classified as a property-wealthy district. According to the state's school finance law, Northwest must surrender some of its tax money to support property-poor districts. Every student who leaves would increase the district's wealth per student and its state payment.

If one-third of Westlake's enrollment were to come from Northwest, it could cost the Northwest district about $800,000 that it would send to the state in the school finance law.

"I just don't see how that makes public schools better," Sockwell said.

Texas Freedom Network, an Austin-based watchdog group that has evaluated Texas charter schools, said it appears that Westlake wants to use the charter school to recruit businesses and home buyers.

"It is clearly designed and tailored to suit the needs of one high end neighborhood," network spokeswoman Ashley McIlvain said. "If they want to spend earned income on private schools, then do so, and don't try to finagle a government funded elite academy."