Gloucester braces for new school's impact
GLOUCESTER - As trustees for the state's newest charter school make preparations to search for an executive director and a school site, Mayor Carolyn Kirk will be busy this month telling parents what the new educational facility will mean to the city's other schools.
Kirk says the news she'll deliver at Parent Teacher Organization meetings will not be good.
"What we are preparing for," she said, "is increased class size, cuts in services to students, cuts in programs, and probably a closure of two elementary schools."
Over the last week, charter school proponents have celebrated the state's approval of the new Gloucester Community Arts Charter School. The K-8 school, which was narrowly approved by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, 6-5, is scheduled to open in September 2010 and is expected to expand to 240 students over a three-year period.
For the last year, proponents and city officials publicly debated the need for the school, which, according to state law, will be overseen by the state and be allowed to choose its own administrators and school board. There are currently 61 charter schools in the state, and each can create its own curriculum and theme. The schools are independent, and while they receive state and city funds, city officials have no say in their day-to-day operation.
Kirk, the City Council, and the School Committee all opposed the creation of the school, saying it would drain $2.4 million a year from the city's $36 million school budget. That budget has been hard hit by the economic crisis, and in recent years the city has been forced to cut more than 70 teachers and close school libraries.
But Peter Van Ness, chairman of the new school's board of trustees, said the city's students need the school.
Van Ness said the charter school plans to integrate the arts into its curriculum - while still teaching standard majors such as math, science, social studies, and English. Classrooms will allow for students from multiple grades. Students will receive evaluations instead of letter grades, and using arts as a unifying theme, will regularly present exhibitions and performances.
"I think it's a great leap forward for education here in Gloucester," said Van Ness.
Amy Ballin, a school trustee, said another school with a different style of teaching and learning would improve the quality of education in the city.
She pointed to Gloucester students who attend other school districts under the state's school choice plan, which requires the student's home city to pay the host district's per pupil cost.
In 2007, 216 of Gloucester's 3,505 students attended schools in other districts, with the city paying out $1.18 million.
"Gloucester actually funds a charter school every other year with the amount of money that goes out to choice," said Ballin.
Van Ness said trustees would form a search committee this month to look for an executive director, but could not make any hires or accept applications from potential students until after July 1, when the state's local funding for schools is set.
Once the city receives its funding allotment, the school will find a temporary office and begin accepting applications. With money coming from the state and city, the school will be free to students. If more than 120 apply for fall 2010, then a lottery will be held to choose the students, with those from Gloucester receiving first preference.
Van Ness said he hoped to hire an executive director and a director of education within the next year. He said the school would have six teachers the first year and expand to 12 over the first three years, with class size limited to 20 students. Van Ness hopes to locate the school downtown.
Meanwhile, Kirk said the city would face hard decisions about how to run a school district with $2.4 million less a year.
While the city will not fully fund the charter school until its fifth year, Kirk said the new school presents another "unfunded mandate" from the state. About $6 million of the school district's $36 million budget comes from the state, said Kirk.
The city is now in the midst of an economic budget crisis. With a $484,000 midyear cut in state aid and another $2 million state aid cut expected in July, Kirk has eliminated several City Hall jobs, is trying to negotiate health insurance concessions with unions, and needs 25 city workers to take early retirement to prevent additional layoffs.
Steven Rosenberg can be reached at srosenberg@globe.com. 
