Charters & Cash

Charter proposal would line the wrong pockets

April 4, 2006

Daily Pilot, Letter to the Editor

The OC Academy charter proposal highlights three big financial drawbacks in the state educational code. First, just because the code says that districts are not allowed to consider finances in judging a charter school, shouldn't make it so. Local, county and state board members have the sworn responsibility to work for the public interest, which means balancing benefits with costs. Our state Assemblyman Van Tran should work to eliminate this section of the educational code. It's not necessary and it's wrongheaded.

Second, if the OC Academy was presented as a cost-saver, it could be of value to taxpayers, but it's not. It will probably cost about $2,000 to $4,000 on average to teach a student part-time at the academy, but the Newport-Mesa Unified School District will have to shell out $6,000 per student who attends, of which only a few will be ours. The owners of the academy may talk about superior education and choice, but their charter is really about stuffing easy money into their pockets.

Third, the very idea that a local school district, such as Newport-Mesa, is forced to pay for school that's open to anyone in the county, especially if only a few of its own students plan to attend, is just plain nuts. A county school should be run by the county. Again, our representative Van Tran and state Senate candidates Tom Harman, Diane Harkey and Larry Caballero should consider correcting this violation of local rights.

Since Newport-Mesa is the least able district to host a countywide charter school because of its unusual financing, why does the OC Academy want to base itself in Newport Beach? Could it simply be so that its owners won't have to commute far from the second and third homes that they will be able to purchase in Newport Coast with the excess money they take from our school district? Would they be threatening the district so much otherwise? Don't be a sap. Don't support the bosses of the charter taking our tax money for themselves and non-Newport-Mesa students.

A charter is not a charter is not a charter. An elaborate science/technology facility may work as a charter school (which is under consideration by our school board), but a part-time, low-cost school with a full retail price will work only for its owners, not for the taxpayers or for the majority of students in our district. The state Educational Code should not be a suicide pact for Newport-Mesa. We need to support our school board in its fight against the OC Academy proposal locally and in Sacramento.

DENNIS ASHENDORF, Costa Mesa

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