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player ready...The Portage Township Schools officially voiced opposition Wednesday to the South Shore Classical Academy, a proposed charter school in Porter County, calling for the “non-authorization” of the new school in a resolution.
Among the reasons for objecting to the SSCA, the resolution claims the Portage Township School Corp. “already includes” the classical literature and character development the new school’s organizers are promising.
The issue is not competition, but it is sapping resources from schools already doing a good job, said Portage Township School Board Member Cheryl Oprisko. Oprisko attended a public hearing instead of the school board meeting, but she said supports the new resolution.
“They are definitely going to take some of our kids, because some of our kids already go to the charter school in Chesterton,” Oprisko said, referring to the Discovery Charter School, which covers kindergarten through eighth grade.
Portage does not have a need for charter schools, and there likely are other reasons state leaders, including Gov. Mike Pence, promote them, Oprisko said.
“I think there is a purpose for charters in some areas, but Porter County is not that area,” she said. “We are up to the competition from charters, but there’s a limited pool of funds. When they take our kids, the (tuition) money follows the kids, so (charters) are taking away money from our schools, our existing structures and our existing programs.”
Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.