BRADENTON - Brian Bustle left the School Board's chambers happy on Monday night after the board approved his group's application for a charter school.
He and Dale Price, a member of Palmetto Charter School's board, made a detailed and passionate argument for approval amid a recommendation from School Superintendent Tim McGonegal that the application be denied.
Bustle, Palmetto Christian's headmaster, said his school has lost students, and that means the school would have to close at the end of this school year. By reopening as a charter school, it could continue serving the community. Of course, it would have to become a secular school, and he said the people in charge were willing to do that.
McGonegal recommended denying the charter application, and one reason was that it might set a precedent in which a private school could close down and reopen as a public charter school with the same building, same staff and same curriculum.
Bustle and Price made a spirited defense of their application, saying that they had appealed to Tallahassee. Approving the charter would mean Price could make a phone call to Tallahassee, Bustle said, that would end the appeal process.
School Board attorney John Bowen said said the conversion of a private school into a charter school was not contemplated by the Legislature when it wrote the law, and there is no court case to interpret the provision. It would set a precedent for the district and others could come forward and try to do it, too, he said.
Board member Harry Kinnan, who sits on the charter review committee, said that other than the issue of the school being a private school at present and thus raising legal issues, he felt is made a very strong application.
"I've been playing with this for the past three or four weeks, really concerned about making the right decision," Kinnan said. "I know the quality of education provided by them. But I want to do the right thing."
Price said that the people behind the charter school haven't done anything wrong and just want to provide an educational opportunity to children in the county.
"We're not a private school. We are not a parochial school, and we're not a home school education program," he said. "Please don't assume anything other than noble objectives on the part of these people who want to be part of the educational system."
When the vote came in, it was 5-0 in favor of approving the charter school.
Outside the School Board's chambers, Bustle was happy with the positive result.
"This is not a choice that comes easily to us. It's never been in our heart to be anything other than a Christian school," Bustle said. "However, we face declining enrollment due to the declining economy."
Shutting down is a real possibility, he said, next year. "This gives us the opportunity to serve students in the community as a new entity," he said. There will be no religion taught and it would be a public school.
The school would open in August 2010 with more than 300 students in the same building, Bustle said.
"I certainly didn't want to go through that hassle," he said of the possible appeal if the board had rejected the charter. "To be able to start under the cloud of an appeal with the board and the district was not a pleasant alternative."
The next step is for the school's board to begin negotiations with the Manatee County School District.
The School Board rejected charter school applications for Beatrice Smith Preparatory and New Path.
No DROP
After a long and spirited discussion, the board voted 4-1, with board member Robert Gause dissenting, to approve hiring former principal Charlie Banks to be the assistant director of human resources.
McGonegal walked the board through the DROP process, and said he was recommending Banks based on his previous qualifications and experience with the district, and raised the issue of fairness, adding that Banks was giving up 11 months of retirement benefits and taking a $27,000 per year pay cut to take the job.
Board chairman Walter Miller said that the district was fortunate to have someone like Banks. "We're lucky to have people who want to come back," he said. In the past, the district has hired second-career people from states up north, and it seems like discrimination to not allow someone in the local system to take a second career. After all, he noted, the district hires ROTC instructors who are military retirees and thus taking a military pension while taking a paycheck from the district.
Board member Barbara Harvey said that she knows he's the best person for the job. "It makes sense to put someone in those positions who can be multitasked," she said, noting that Banks will have to take on a lot of responsibility. "He'll be able to handle it, and handle it well."
It would be different if the district was violating the law, she said, but in this case they're doing the right thing.
Board member Jane Pfeilsticker said that there needs to be a workshop on hiring because of the controversial hiring that's been done. He's the best person for the job, she said, but they need to ensure impartiality and equality.
Gause disagreed because, he said, while Banks has been a great employee, the process has been demoralizing to other staffers and prevents people who may have new and different ideas from getting positions.
"It hurts us when you have 12.7 percent unemployment and the perception of cronyism exists," he said. "I feel it's not right in these times."
With the approval, Banks will start in the new job immediately.
In other action
The School Board approved the following items Monday night:
Approval of Advertising a Notice of Rule Development to Amend Policy 5.13, Local Wellness, and Setting a Public Hearing on the Proposed Amendment at the Board Meeting Tentatively Scheduled on December 14, 2009 - p.49
Approval of Advertising a Notice of Rule Development to Amend Policy 8.20, Management Information System, and Setting a Public Hearing on the Proposed Amendment at the Board Meeting Tentatively Scheduled on December 14, 2009 - p.50
Approval of Advertising a Notice of Rule Development to Amend Policy 9.6, Research Projects, and Setting a Public Hearing on the Proposed Amendment at the Board Meeting Tentatively Scheduled on December 14, 2009 - p.51
Approval of Lincoln Middle School - Agri-Science Project - Agreement Between Owner and NDC Construction Company - p.30
Approval of School Support Center - Computer Room HVAC Project - Agreement Between Owner and Halfacre Construction Company - Guaranteed Maximum Price - p.37
Consent agenda
The School Board approved the following items on the consent agenda:
Approval of Bid on Fluorescent Lamps, MCSD No. 10-0024-MR - p.22
Approval of Renewal (1) on Telephone Replacement System, MCSD No. 07-0040-RH - p.23
Approval of Agreement Between the School Board of Manatee County and Mixon and Associates for Consultative Services and Representation in Governmental Affairs - p.24
Approval of New Agreements Between the School Board of Manatee County and Various Providers for Clinical Experience for Manatee Technical Institute (MTI) Health Occupations Students for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 School Years - p.26
Approval to Renew the Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the City of Palmetto School Resource Officers for the 2009-2010 School Year - p.28
Approval to Renew the Contract with UnitedHealthcare for the Secure Horizons Medicare Advantage Health Insurance Plan Effective January 1, 2010 - p.29
Approval of Matzke Complex Modernization - Change Orders 3 and 4 - Agreement between Owner and Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc. - p.31
Approval of Myakka City Elementary School - Cafetorium - Renovation - Phase III Plans - Construction Documents - p.32
Approval of Myakka City Elementary School - Renovation - Phase II Plans - Design Development - p.33
Approval of Myakka City Elementary School - Renovation - Third Letter of Commitment from W.G. Mills, Inc. - p.34
Approval of William Monroe Rowlett Elementary School - Classroom Addition - Change Order 3 - Final - Agreement Between Owner and A.D. Morgan Corporation - p.36
Approval of the Appointments, Change of Assignments, Deceased, Promotions, Reappointments, Reassignments, Recommendations for Professional Service Contracts, Resignations, Retirements, Terminations and Transfers - p.38
Approval to Accept the Waiver of the Provisions of Article XII, Appendix B, Section G of the Master Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association (MEA) in Regard to Abel Elementary School - p.39
Approval to Accept the Waiver of the Provisions of Article XII, Appendix B, Section G of the Master Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association (MEA) in Regard to Blackburn Elementary School - p.40
Approval to Accept the Waiver of the Provisions of Article XII, Appendix B, Section G of the Master Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association (MEA) in Regard to Freedom Elementary School - p.41
Approval to Accept the Waiver of the Provisions of Article XII, Appendix B, Section G of the Master Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association (MEA) in Regard to McNeal Elementary School - p.42
Approval to Accept the Waiver of the Provisions of Article XII, Appendix B, Section G of the Master Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association (MEA) in Regard to Oneco Elementary School - p.43
Approval to Accept the Waiver of the Provisions of Article XII, Appendix B, Section G of the Master Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association (MEA) in Regard to Sea Breeze Elementary School - p.44
Approval to Accept the Waiver of the Provisions of Article V Section 2 of the Master Contract Between the School Board of Manatee County and the Manatee Education Association (MEA) in Regard to Oneco Elementary School - p.45
Approval of the Revised School Calendar for the 2009-2010 School Year - p.46
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