June 9, 2006

CUHSD considering another charter school

South Bay Preparatory would be an alternative for 200 students

By Daniel DeBolt
Staff writer

Despite the tension created by a Leadership Public Schools charter school in Campbell, which was approved last year, a group of parents and teachers are pushing for another charter school in the CUHSD that could have 200 students enrolled as early as 2007.

The two biggest challenges facing the South Bay Preparatory are finding a facility and getting approval from the school board, said Mike Ballhurst, executive director of SBP and Los Gatos High School teacher. Three of five board members showed up to hear a presentation about the combined junior and high school on May 25. The board will revisit the proposal on July 13.

Charter schools often produce tension in districts because most are strapped for cash and every student lost to a charter school means less money for the district. The rest of the schools in the district will lose $500,000 for every 100 students that go to a charter school. Proponents claim the money simply follows the student, but opponents claim that money is taken from programs available to large numbers of students, like sports and music.

SBP may not have a music program or sports, but it will have a focus on college prep unlike any other school in the district.

SBP Board President Kelly Lambert said the state encourages charter schools. Despite the financial difficulties a charter school may impose on a district, school boards are not allowed to reject a charter school on a financial basis.

At the school board meeting May 25, the room was packed with SBP supporters. There were no dissenting voices.

Supporter Heather Ward said people move to the area because they want options and diversity even though the cost of living is high.

Simon Lambert said he was an at-risk youth when he was a kid and couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have small classes and teachers who knew him. He now has three kids and doesn’t want them to be in the same situation he was. There are hundreds of charter schools in the state that outperform regular schools at a lower cost per student, he said.

Other parents spoke about their kids falling through the cracks in regular schools. They signed on with SBP in hopes it would be the answer to their problems.

The school’s creators look to other schools as models including Summit Preparatory High School in Redwood City, which is a top school in San Mateo County, and Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz, which is one of the top 10 high schools in the country.

SBP submitted a 116-page proposal to the district about the school, which will have smaller class sizes and fewer students per teacher. That document can be downloaded from www.southbayprep.org.

The typical teacher has five classes and 170 students, Ballhurst said, but SBP teachers will have four classes and 100 students. As a high school teacher himself Ballhurst can attest that it’s not always possible to connect with 175 students. Some inevitably get ignored.

A “living document” will follow students from sixth grade to their senior year providing a record and guidance to teachers and parents. Students will also be paired with a mentor, and parents will be encouraged to participate and meet with teachers.

Popular former Campbell Middle School principal Joe Pacheco will be the principal of the new school.

The school's creators say they are big believers in high standards. The graduation requirements of the school meet or exceed California State University and University of California requirements. The school will focus on “depth over breadth,” Ballhurst said so students will have more than a superficial understanding of subjects.

Ballhurst is confident the new school will be attractive to good teachers, with a competitive salary range and a realistic workload. Teachers and staff may be asked to take on other responsibilities, however, because charter schools save a lot of money by cutting out unnecessary administrative and support staff positions that traditional schools have by law.

If approved, the school district will not have direct control over the school, just oversight.

A governing board that is 75 percent teachers will run the school.

The school has four times the signatures required to open, with 400 signatures representing 600 students of interested parents. A lottery will determine admission.

More and more parents are opting out of public schools, said Kelly Lambert, SBP board president. Following Hurricane Katrina, the majority of schools rebuilt in New Orleans are charter schools.

“People with money have had choices for years,” Lambert said. “Only until recently with charter schools, have regular people had a choice.”

For more information on South Bay Preparatory visit www.southbayprep.org