By Barbara Jones, LA Daily News Staff Writer | http://bit.ly/InlAFy
4/30/2012 08:28:52 PM PDT :: Two dozen elementary and middle schools in the San Fernando Valley want to become affiliated charters, giving them more flexibility - and, potentially, more money - while remaining part of LAUSD.
The flood of applicants includes eight Valley schools slated to lose federal funding because they didn't have enough low-income students, plus 16 others hoping to capitalize on the hybrid charter model.
"This is the best of both worlds," said Linda Del Cueto, the local superintendent of the West Valley district, where all but one of the applicants are located. "The schools have more access to their money, and the district doesn't lose its students and teachers."
In sharp contrast to independent charters, affiliated charters receive services from LAUSD and their teachers continue to work under existing labor contracts. However, affiliated charters gain freedom to design their own programs, curriculums and schedules.
LINK TO LAUSD AFFILIATED CHARTER APPLICANTS
The San Fernando Valley schools applying for affiliated charter status are among those listed here.
View Proposed affiliated charter schools in a larger map
Important during a time of financial belt-tightening, the district continues to receive state funding for the campuses, while the schools themselves receive state block grants earmarked for charters. The grant is $400 per student this year, but is expected to drop to about $385 in 2012-13 because of the state's financial crisis.
That means campuses like Nobel and Millikan Middle schools, with 2,500 and 2,200 students, respectively, would have resources to create more innovative programs if their charter petitions are approved.
Millikan Principal John Plevack said he decided to pursue affiliated status because of the pending loss of some $600,000 in federal Title I grants, which are allocated to schools with high numbers of impoverished students.
The Sherman Oaks campus is among nine in the Valley that will lose that Title I funding in 2013-14 because the school board shifted the money to schools with greater numbers of low-income students.
Eight of those schools have applied for affiliated charter status, which would take effect in the fall. If the school board approves those five-year charters, the revenue from the state grants could make up the loss of Title I funding.
"Title I started the idea, and we found there were a lot of benefits to the plan," said Plevack, whose Sherman Oaks school operates a performing arts magnet and science academy. "The governance will be here on campus, and we can have the flexibility to pursue the things that are unique to Millikan."
In addition to the two middle schools, the other current Title I campuses applying for charter status are Dearborn, Germain, Hamlin, Knollwood, Nestle, and Superior Elementary schools.
None of the 16 other applicants qualifies for Title I money. For them, the affiliated charter status will provide them with greater flexibility and autonomy in allocating their resources.
"Some of the schools are going to end up with more money and others with more control over the money they're getting as a block grant," school board member Tamar Galatzan said. "With money so tight, that's enough to push them."
Galatzan represents 19 of the schools seeking charter status. It was she who - when the board voted to change the Title I guidelines - speculated that those schools would convert to charters and pull away from the district.
And even though the schools are petitioning to become affiliated rather than independent charters, she's still worried about the long-term impact on LAUSD.
"I've been raising this issue for several years, but no one really wants to engage it," she said. "The way this issue is trending, in the next few years, there will be no non-Title I schools left in LAUSD. Someone should be paying attention - not only what this means for the district, but for public education in general."
Jose Cole-Gutierrez, who heads the district's Charter Schools Division, said the budget crisis was a major factor in the tidal wave of charter applications.
While the administrators like Plevack said there didn't seem to be any downside to a charter conversion, Cole-Gutierrez warned that there are some pitfalls.
"This is not something to be taken lightly," he said. "There's a significant amount of work involved, developing the charter proposal and living by those terms. This is a living manifesto."
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