Charter schools a threat to some on 281 School Board

“I would not put a charter school in a residential area to compete with our schools,” Boardmember Sherry Tyrrell said.

But Boardmember Jonas Beugen said he is more concerned about the district losing additional students.

“I think there is a place for charter schools,” he said. “They provide an opportunity for creativity and opportunities for doing things differently. We should keep our options open. Having charter schools in the community isn’t necessarily bad for our community.”

Boardmember Patsy Green maintained it is not “a level playing field.”

“Charter schools can do things we are not allowed to do,” said Green, who did not support the district’s sale of the former Lincoln School to Prairie Seeds Academy charter school.

Why are Patsy Green and Sherry Tyrrell so against charter schools in the district? This stat from a MN Sun Post article may be why:

The charter school segment has grown from 105 students in the 2002-03 school year to 620 students in 2008-09, outpacing non-public, home school and other public district school choices, Executive Director of Technology Dennis Beekman wrote in a memo to the School Board that was reviewed at the board’s work session Monday, Aug. 10.

Of the 620 resident students in the district who are attending 51 different charter schools, 507 (87 percent) attend 16 schools.

Green and Tyrrell don’t support giving parents options in our district. And we’ve seen the growing numbers of parents voting with their feet to other districts, charter schools and home schooling. Speaking of voting: unseat Patsy Green November 3.

Tags: 281, charter schools, Patsy Green, Robbinsdale schools, Sherry Tyrell