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Y! MyWebNo new charter schools can open in city
Monday, September 15, 2008
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Springfield City Schools' upgrade on the state report card for the 2007-08 school year has precluded any new charter schools from opening in the city, including one that announced last year plans to open this fall.
Springfield schools for the first time reached the "Continuous Improvement" ranking on the report card released in August by the Ohio Department of Education, after several years in the lowest two designations, "Academic Watch" and "Academic Emergency." The city schools' ascension is largely due to the new "value-added" measure that rewards districts for making a year or more of progress with students in a school year.
Imagine Schools, a network of 74 charter schools in 12 states, announced last year it would open a charter school in Springfield to be called Springfield Imagine Academy. School officials reportedly were looking at two locations on South Limestone Street, but had not found a suitable site in time to open for the current school year, said Jason Bryant, executive vice president for Indiana, Ohio and Michigan.
"We're not allowed to open because the Springfield system is actually in the 'Continuous Improvement' category now," he said.
When the state implemented the charter school system a decade ago, lawmakers aimed to create a competitive market to foster improvement in the education system and give parents options. The legislation primarily allows charter schools to open only in areas where the district is rated "Academic Watch" or "Academic Emergency."
Charter schools can open any time in the "Big Eight" districts — Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown — regardless of ranking.
Imagine Schools still is interested in Springfield and will look here again if Springfield schools fall from the new designation, said Bryant.
Charter schools that opened prior to Springfield's "Continuous Improvement" rating are not affected by the law, only new schools.
There are three charter schools in Springfield, Life Skills Center-Springfield, Springfield Academy of Excellence, and Springfield Preparatory and Fitness Academy. A fourth charter school, Urban Youth Academy, shut down in May after its sponsor, Educational Resource Consultants of Ohio, pulled its support because of ongoing problems.
