Officials in six DuPage County school districts are teaming up to research the possibility of a specialized charter school that would serve elementary school pupils in Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Glendale Heights and Carol Stream.
If approved, it will become the first charter school in DuPage.
Public school officials in the Chicago suburbs have, by and large, been loath to support charter schools in their area, arguing that they drain already scare tax dollars from districts. In fact, even though state law allows 15 charter schools in the suburbs, only three have opened.
“We see endless possibilities,” said Supt. Pi Irwin of Glen Ellyn School District 41, one of the districts involved in the study. “By joining together, we have the opportunity to provide a service that we would not be able to provide on our own.”
Irwin said the charter school idea is in its infancy but said school officials envision a scenario where they could help create a school with a curriculum geared toward, say, fine arts or math. The six districts probably could not find enough pupils on their own to fill classrooms, but together they could, she said.
School officials began working earlier this year with Partnerships for Educational Progress, a non-profit group that raises money for the six districts as well as Glenbard Township High School District 87. The group applied for, and received, a $12,000 state grant that will pay for a consultant to study community interest.
The consultant, Michael Bakalis, former state schools superintendent, plans to hold four meetings this month with parents, teachers, district officials and community residents.
“We are thrilled the districts are taking this step because we think it represents a willingness to think outside the box and a willingness to think about how they can improve and deliver services,” said Dee Manire, a District 41 school board member who chairs the non-profit group.
State lawmakers approved charter school legislation as a way to offer innovative alternatives to public schools. Made possible by a 1996 law, charter schools are publicly funded but operate largely free of state and local regulations. They are exempt from many Illinois mandates, except essential ones such as criminal background checks for employees and the Illinois Standards Achievement Test.
The 1996 law authorized 45 charter schools in the state, 15 Downstate, 15 in Chicago and 15 in the suburbs. Currently, Chicago has 13, and three are Downstate.
The suburbs have three, Jefferson Charter School in Elk Grove Village, Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake and Governors State University Charter School in Crete.
Initially, the law allowed only charter schools sponsored by private groups. That law was amended last year to allow school districts to sponsor them. The one at Governors State, for instance, is sponsored by Crete-Monee School District 201.
But suburban school boards have generally balked at approving charter schools, because when students leave their schools and head to the charter school, the per-pupil tax money follows that student out the door.
Boards in several DuPage school districts, including Wheaton-Warrenville Community Unit School District 200, have voted down charter school proposals.
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But Irwin and her fellow superintendents said they believe a charter school could give them a chance to expand choices for the roughly 17,000 students at the six districts’ schools.
The project also involves Marquardt School District 15, Queen Bee School District 16, Lombard School District 44, Glen Ellyn School District 89 and Carol Stream School District 93.
Henry Gmitro, superintendent of District 93, said he was excited to sign on to the project.
“One of our strategic goals is to enhance and expand education opportunities and choices for our parents and our community,” Gmitro said. “So if we find out that our parents are interested in a charter school, we’d be very interested in helping see it to fruition.”