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| | Panel pulls plug on home schooling program
Saturday, Jan 31, 2004 By David Robinson Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Upset parents promised a lawsuit Friday after lawmakers pulled the plug on a charter school that would have allowed students to learn from home through the Internet. Concerned about its potential drain on the education budget, the legislative Joint Budget Committee voted 36-12 to make the Arkansas Virtual Academy ineligible to be an open-enrollment charter school. The Senate later Friday approved the change to the charter school law, which is part of the public school fund appropriation, and approval is also expected in the House. Under the amended law, a charter school will have to exist in a traditional school setting. "I'm devastated," said Randall Greenway, chief executive officer of the Arkansas Virtual Academy. The Internet-based program has existed in Arkansas for a year and a half as a federally funded pilot program that serves 450 students. Lawmakers were divided largely along party lines, with Republicans generally in support of the Arkansas Virtual Academy. The unique charter school received the state Board of Education's approval in the fall and would have received unlimited funding depending on the number of students enrolled. The school would have received the same amount as any public school - an average $5,400 per student - and every child enrolled would have received a free computer and Internet access. The school, which had about 800 parents on a waiting list, only recently has raised a red flag for many lawmakers. Lawmakers were anticipating an additional cost next year of $4.8 million, but it could have been more, depending on the number of students enrolled, some argued. "Of all the other charter schools that have been approved, this is the only one that's been approved with unlimited enrollment," said Sen. Jim Luker, D-Wynne. Sen. Percy Malone, D-Arkadelphia, said the school hasn't had time to establish a track record in Arkansas. Those opposing the change argued unsuccessfully that the panel was throwing away an opportunity. "We worry about economic development; we want to bring business to Arkansas," said Rep. Marvin Parks, R-Greenbrier. "I'm curious as to how the business community is going to respond when they read in the headlines that Arkansas has said no to its first innovative Internet-based school." Parks' comments drew applause from the parents and children cramming the committee room. Others supporting the charter school sought to allay fears that it was simply a souped up home school, noting that the lessons are taught by certified teachers. After the vote, parents said a lawsuit would be coming. Former state Sen. Kevin Smith, a Virtual Academy board member, also said the board is likely to file suit. Sen. Dave Bisbee, R-Rogers, said a clause in the charter school contract should protect the state from legal liability. "If funds are not available, the contract is automatically void," Bisbee told the committee. "We write all our state contracts that way." Lajuana Oswalt of Sherwood, who has two children in the program headed by Greenway, said she plans to file suit, but didn't know on what grounds. "All I know right now is that I am incredibly upset and angry that they would take away an education for my children that is so much better for my children than anything we've ever experienced before," Oswalt said. "I don't know why they would do that. I don't understand it." Renata Bauder, also of Sherwood, has one child in the program. "We're just outraged about this," Bauder said. "They've taken our children's choice away. They've taken a quality education away from our children and they're disrupting our children's schooling, and that's not acceptable." Lawmakers who supported Friday's change said they would be willing to revisit the matter in January 2005, when lawmakers convene in regular session. Greenway said federal funding for the pilot program has been cut by 40 percent, to about $1.7 million a years. The program was to be funded for three more years, but the state Department of Education has applied with the federal Department of Education to use the money for other purposes, Greenway said. "This program may not be available next year," Greenway said. "We just don't know at this time." |
