Posted on 12/17/2003 4:27:52 PM PST by Momaw Nadon
SALEM - A flier the School Department sent home to parents about the new Salem Academy Charter School was "entirely inappropriate" and had claims that were untrue, according to the Massachusetts Department of Education.
Several top state education officials reviewed the flier, which was printed by the Salem Public Schools and warned parents about signing up for the new public charter school that will open here in September.
"It is not illegal to (send out the flier), but it is improper and entirely inappropriate," said Heidi Perlman, a state education spokeswoman who conferred with the department's general counsel, Rhoda Schneider. "We just feel it's inappropriate for the Salem Public Schools to be sending home anti-charter school propaganda."
The flier, titled "The True Cost of the Salem Academy Charter School," has been distributed at all of the city's public schools by the School Department and sent home either in children's backpacks or in school newsletters. It was written by School Committee member Darleen Melis and warns parents about the financial damage the charter school could do to the Salem Public Schools.
On Monday night, the head of the new charter school told the School Committee that the flier is inaccurate. A parent who supports the charter school called it "propaganda" -- the same word used by the state officials.
Kristin McIntosh, associate commissioner for charter schools at the Department of Education, agreed that the flier has false information. She labeled as "very wrong" and "not true" a statement warning parents that just signing up for the charter school "takes money away" from the Salem Public Schools.
"School districts only pay for children who actually attend the charter school," McIntosh said. "They do not pay for children merely applying or signing up for the lottery." The Salem Public Schools will not lose any funding until next December, and that will be based on the October enrollment at the Salem Academy Charter School -- not the sign-up list.
'Just an opinion'
Superintendent of Schools Herb Levine strongly disagreed with the state's contention it was wrong to send out the flier.
"For the DOE, who is the champion of the charter schools, to say it is inappropriate ... well, that's just an opinion," Levine said. "It's not a legal opinion, and it's an opinion that holds no weight."
While conceding the flier "may be somewhat questionable," Levine said there are different interpretations of how state funding works for charter schools. When told of the comments of a DOE official about the accuracy of the flier, he said it is important to remember that the DOE is a staunch supporter of charter schools. "You're not going to get an objective opinion from the DOE," he said.
Told of Levine's comments, McIntosh replied that it is the role of the Department of Education to interpret laws and regulations for all public schools -- traditional and charter.
"Our interpretation of state statutes and regulations around charter schools and charter school financing, frankly, rules the day," she said.
The Salem Academy Charter School, a public middle and high school, is scheduled to open in September. It will begin with sixth- and seventh-grade classes with a maximum enrollment of 88 students. So far, 80 students have signed up -- 72 from Salem. Others are from Beverly, Danvers, Lynn and Swampscott.
If more than 88 students sign up, a lottery will be held in March to decide which students will be enrolled. The school is open to students from any community.
Levine said the School Department could lose up to $800,000 in state aid that will be shifted from the Salem Public Schools to the charter school.
Melis, the school board member who wrote the flier, still insists it is accurate. She said the state provides advance funding to the charter school based on the projected enrollment. Those funds, she said, come from money earmarked for the Salem Public Schools. The school district, she said, must base its budget on that projected enrollment and may have to make staff and program cuts based on the estimated loss of funds.
She also defended the decision to send out a flier through the schools.
"It's being competitive," she said. "This is all supposed to be about competition." She added that the School Committee has an obligation to inform parents about anything that will have a severe impact on the school budget.
'Don't mislead parents'
Rachel Hunt, head of the Salem Academy Charter School, said the Salem School Committee should focus on a different obligation. "It has an obligation to ensure that all the information it puts out is true and doesn't mislead parents," she said.
Levine defended the decision to use public funds and the public schools to try to persuade parents not to sign up their children for another public school. While saying he has had second thoughts about sending the flier home in students' backpacks, the superintendent said it is important to communicate the serious damage he believes will be caused by the loss of funding.
"We're fighting for our lives here," he said.
Levine said it is too late to stop the fliers from being sent home, since they were distributed about two weeks ago. If it is proved to him that the information is not accurate, he said parents will be informed.
"If we made a mistake, I would insist something be done to correct it," he said.
The state is still reviewing the flier and considering possible action.
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