Highline School District and Rainier Prep Charter School
Below is a letter from Feb. 2014 from Superintendent Susan Enfield of Highline SD that I believe was originally for her staff but was also later handed out to Rainier Prep parents (but not by Enfield.)
You'll note two things.
She says Highline wasn't part of the application process but they did provide a "letter of support." Any letters of support become part of the public record for a proposed charter school so yes, it was part of the entire process of review by the Charter Commission.
Second, not one single word about any lawsuits. That's not necessarily Enfield's duty but Rainier Prep decided to hand this out to prospective parents to show them - what? - cooperation on the part of the district their residence is in? And yet Rainier Prep didn't have the good grace to let those prospective parents know that the charter school law had lost in a lower court and was now moving onto the Supreme Court.
I also like Enfield's positive belief that the Highline students who leave in 6th grade will come back in 9th. Did it not occur to her that yet another charter school could open in her district - a high school - and continue to take her students?
You'll note two things.
She says Highline wasn't part of the application process but they did provide a "letter of support." Any letters of support become part of the public record for a proposed charter school so yes, it was part of the entire process of review by the Charter Commission.
Second, not one single word about any lawsuits. That's not necessarily Enfield's duty but Rainier Prep decided to hand this out to prospective parents to show them - what? - cooperation on the part of the district their residence is in? And yet Rainier Prep didn't have the good grace to let those prospective parents know that the charter school law had lost in a lower court and was now moving onto the Supreme Court.
I also like Enfield's positive belief that the Highline students who leave in 6th grade will come back in 9th. Did it not occur to her that yet another charter school could open in her district - a high school - and continue to take her students?
February 19,
2014 - Charter School Start-up in Highline
Hello Everyone,
You may have recently heard news that the
Washington State Charter School Commission has approved a number of charter
school applications, including one here in Highline. Rainier Prep Charter
School was approved to create a school for grades 5-8 within the boundaries of
Highline Public Schools.
Highline Public Schools is not an
authorizer of charter schools, and we were not involved in Rainier Prep’s
application or the approval process. (Proposed charter schools must go through
a process to be authorized by the Washington State Charter Commission or
another organization approved by the State Board of Education to authorize
charter schools.) We did, however, provide a letter of support for the school,
based on my experience with the school’s leadership and my belief that we can
partner with them to provide high quality options for our students.
Since the state has granted the charter and
Rainer Prep will draw students from Highline elementary schools, I feel
strongly it is in the best interests of the district and our students to work
as partners. When Rainier Prep students leave 8th grade, they will rejoin us
for high school. Having similar expectations will ensure a smooth transition,
which we want for all of our students.
Rainier Prep is not scheduled to open until
the fall of 2015. It will open with 5th and 6th grades and add a new grade each
year as students roll up to the next grade level. A location for the
school has not been identified yet.
We are currently meeting with the
leadership of Rainier Prep to identify areas in which we can partner, including
academics (professional development, for example) and operations (sharing
transportation, for example.) At this point, we have not entered any
agreements. I am committed to keeping you informed as we continue to have
conversations with the leadership of Rainier Prep.
Susan
Susan Enfield, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Highline Public Schools
phone 206-631-3070
Comments
NoCharters
Rainier Prep is putting public funds into a private account.
I've requested bank statements, but Rainier Prep told me they are busy educating students.(!) I will receive the documents after the legislative special session- ends.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByRspl25iyiYZWNydjFOeWhhU3c/view
Maybe not the coolest way to handle funding delays, but assuming it's all tracked, documented and matched up, I'm not sure it's "technically" bad - but not my area of expertise whatsoever, so I could be totally wrong ;)
reader47
The article indicates that Inslee will let everyone know on Friday about the charter bill.
From the article:
Inslee has not scheduled action on the bill designed to save Washington's charter schools, but has until Saturday to sign or veto that measure and others on his desk.
He said after Wednesday's bill signing that he would share his plans for the charter school measure on Friday.
HP