New Hampshire Center for School Reform

Newsletter Update

August 6, 2004

We are pleased to bring attention to New Hampshire's progress.

 

 Only 20 working days until the opening of NH’s FIRST chartered public schools!!!

 

In this edition:

Please direct inquiries to Susan Hollins (susan@nhschoolreform.org)

 

WHY CHILDREN ATTEND SCHOOL

 

Sending children to school is a statutory duty of parents. Public school attendance is compulsory in New Hampshire for children ages 6 to 16.   Parents have 4 options: 1) attend the assigned in-district public school, 2) attend a different public school (not the in-district public school), 3) attend a private school, 4) provide home education (RSA 193:1 Duty of Parent; Compulsory Attendance by Pupil, 1903).

 

New Hampshire also has “dual enrollment”—allowing a child’s education to be split between two education options—the little known RSA 193:1-a  “the full-time attendance requirement may be met by attendance at more than one school provided the total time spent in the schools is equivalent to full-time attendance”  (home school and non-public schools are included).

SIX (6) CHARTERED PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY OPEN NEXT YEAR

 

Six chartered public schools of choice may open next year. New Hampshire’s charter law was conceived in 1994 and passed in 1995. Six charters were awarded in the mid-1990’s. One was approved to open (Tamworth), but none opened. A legislative change to make the law workable was needed, and passed in 2003. See The Promise of Charter Schools, published by Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, 2002.

 

In New Hampshire, chartered public schools are fully independent public schools in every way except for special education, where the decision-making, placement decisions, federal/state funds, and funding stay with the child’s local school district.

 

Information about each charter school can be found on our web site.  

HOW DO STUDENTS ATTEND CHARTERED SCHOOLS?

 

5 Possible Options:

1. A PARENT can apply directly, because these are open enrollment, free, public “schools of choice.”  If seats are available, parents from any district may apply to state-authorized schools. These schools generally serve children from multiple towns within a region. There is no transportation requirement from outside the host district; thus, most chartered public schools will serve a region where parents can drive or car pool.

 

    Lotteries are held if applications exceed the 10% cap per grade/town or  the total number of spaces available. Each charter school has a procedure for handling applications and lottery.

 

2.  A SUPERINTENDENT can “re-assign” a student to a non-district public school (e.g. a charter school) under 2002 provisions of 193:3.  A parent petitions for the different school and the superintendent decides if the request is “in the student’s best interest.” A tuition is negotiated. The Superintendent’s decision is final. 

 

3. A SCHOOL BOARD can reassign a student under the provisions of Manifest Hardship (193:3).  If this parent request is denied, the decision can be appealed to the STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, whose decision is final. So the State Board can decide a placement on appeal.

 

4.  A SCHOOL DISTRICT can contract for spaces in a charter school to assure choice openings for its district students. With lottery requirements, there is no way to guarantee slots for just one town with state-authorized school, intended for open admission from multiple communities and regions. The charter school can make contracts (has all the rights and privileges of other public schools). The law also allows sending districts to provide funds and services, and enter into “mutually advantageous” relationships with charter schools.

 

5. A school district’s SPECIAL EDUCATION TEAM can request a student be placed at a charter school, and, if the program needed is appropriate within the chartered program, this team oversees placement and is responsible for special ed costs. NH charter public schools have no special education decision-making authority and no operational funds for special education services. One school will have bilingual teachers (ASL/English) for its teaching staff, however.

HOW MUCH OPERATING FUNDS DO THE SCHOOLS RECEIVE? WHO DECIDES? WHO PAYS?

 

NH’s revised charter school law, revision of 2003, has multiple operating funds provisions <RSA 194:B, Section 11>:

 

1. PARENTS DO NOT PAY tuition. The allowed spaces in the school are free to parents, as with any other public school.

 

2. Basic state funding is provided by the PUPIL’S RESIDENT DISTRICT  OR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION in cash or may issue anticipation notes. The state’s 2004-2005 funding contribution for any public student is $3390.  This $3390 is the only state guaranteed operational funds for charter schools this year. $3390 per child is 30%- 50% of public funding provided for other public school students, when local funds are added. Timelines for receipt of these per pupil funds “shall coincide with the distribution of adequacy grants” to other public schools.  

 

3. The SENDING DISTRICT may provide funds, services, equipment, materials, or personnel …IN ADDITION TO the State’s contribution, above. The 1995 NH charter school concept was based on students receiving 80% of whatever their local district spends—a reduction of per pupil funding, but workable. If a school board does not support a gross inequity in student funding, (e.g. is not comfortable giving some students $6,000-$10,000 each but charter school students far less each, then district board is free to provide whatever funding it thinks is fair. The law allows for this. No one testifying in New Hampshire has ever said that the state’s limited per pupil contribution is an adequate amount for a full educational program for any student.  

 

4. A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEAM can decide the funding for a special education student it places at the charter school—the charter school has zero operational funds for special education services. State-to-district special education funds and the responsibility for special education costs stay with the local district.

 

5. A SUPERINTENDENT can decide the fair tuition amount for a student he/she places in a charter school under the provisions of 193:3, when and if he/she agrees to send a student based on a parent petition. The law says the superintendent’s decision is final.

 

6. The DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION can decide the extent and manner in which any distributed federal funds follow the children attending charter schools, since it is generally required that these limited funds follow the child<RSA 194:B, Section 11>.

 

7. CITIZENS and ORGANIZATIONS can offer tax-deductible gifts. The little Laurent Clerc Academy, hoping to bring New Hampshire it’s first school serving deaf children in over 25 years, is attempting to open. LCA has no operational or start-up funding at the moment and has received a $13,000 gift from the Lions Club Sight and Hearing Foundation of New Hampshire.  

WHICH SCHOOLS ARE OPENING NEXT YEAR?

 

Seacoast Charter School, Exeter/Stratham, grades 3, 4, 5:

 

Franklin Career Academy,  Franklin, grades 7-12 (opening primarily w/ grades 7, 8, 9)

 

North Country Alternative School grades 9 – 12, opening in two locations, Littleton and Lancaster

 

Laurent Clerc Academy, Concord (opening primarily with grade 1-4 children who are deaf or hard of hearing and/or requesting an ASL/English bilingual environment)

 

Cocheco Academy for Arts and Arts Related Technology, Dover, a high school for the arts, opening mid-year in 2004-2005 with primarily grade 9 & 10 students.

 

Great Bay e-Learning Academy, serving grades 7-10 and planning a mid-year opening

 

HOW ARE OUR FIRST PIONEER SCHOOLS MAKING OUT?

 

Three hurdles challenge new pioneer schools:  facilities, funding, and stamina. The work of setting up a public school from scratch is daunting. Until the school has funding, the founders divide up all the work and handle everything themselves. The road to opening is highly complex, but the new path is steadily getting cleared.

 

Finding an affordable facility with limited per pupil allocations is a huge problem. Too late schools learned that a federal law allows a zoning exemption for government purposes. Public schools needing space can bypass local zoning standards. There is no exemption for local safety standards, however. Months were wasted in some locations before this exemption was clarified.  Still, all schools planning to open this fall seem to now have located very good school space, thanks to many.

 

Funding is a challenge, but no group has collapsed with the decrease in the state funding formula. Schools are being entrepreneurial.  Business and service providers are stepping forward to offer very low cost or reduced cost services. The Charter School Legislative Oversight Committee meeting this week had legislators, the Commissioner of Education, and the Chair of the State Board of Education all discussing how to assure charter schools received more reasonable financial support so these schools can thrive. The Department of Education will provide data for state-by-state comparisons of average per pupil costs and state allocations for typical and charter public school children.  

 

Energy and stamina to accomplish the impossible is challenging, but New Hampshire charter school pioneers and their leaders are remarkably determined and resilient.   20 days to go.

 

NEEDs:

 

Businesses and citizens wishing to contribute, please contact us or the school directly. Specific needs include:

  1. Septic System Expansion (small job) & small area fencing (Exeter area)

  2. Interior Painting, Front-of-School Sign, and Emergency Exit lights for school serving deaf students (Concord Area)

BUDGET MANAGEMENT SEMINAR;  Tuesday, August 10th, 4:00 p.m.

 

We are offering a free seminar on understanding, setting up, and managing your school’s financial system. We’ll review position roles and responsibilities, including guidelines for treasurer and school board. Participants will also receive the NH Charter School Budget and Finance Resource Guide, developed with NH Department of Education support.

 

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Place: 89 South Street, Concord.

 

Please call to confirm (603.224.0366) or email us.

QUESTION or COMMENT?

 

Please do not hesitate to visit our web site and peruse the world of New Hampshire charter schools. We are updating weekly and responding to your requests and suggestions.