The board overseeing charter schools in the Gillett School District will operate with five, rather than nine, members, following the adoption of a memorandum of understanding Feb. 19.
Gillett offers CrE8, an art-infused charter school at the elementary level, and GOAL Academy (Gillett’s Occupational and Leadership Academy), which offers secondary school students career pathways selections. Due to a lack of students, CrE8 is not running this school year.
According to the revised charter agreement signed in 2010, the charter schools’ board was to include five parents, two community representatives and two teachers “serving in an ex-officio capacity.” But the board has been operating for a number of years with fewer than nine members.
Charter Administrator Steve Linssen presented the memo of understanding to the traditional School Board on Feb. 19 to formalize the change in membership.
“I thought it was important to do this so that we’re both in agreement,” Linssen said. “We’re four years into it, so there’s a better understanding as to what should be in the agreement.”
School Board members knew the charter board had been operating with less than nine members.
“I knew they were operating with five people.,” said James Karls, School Board vice president. “I think five for the charter board is fine. They report to the traditional board.”
Linssen said the charter board in December advertised for new members.
“We received no applicants,” he said.
He said people are busy, and it’s one more thing to work into a schedule.
“There’s no stipends,” Linssen said, “and you need to commit to one night a month.”
Jamie Heroux, who was elected to the Gillett School Board last year, voted against the memo.
“I don’t think the memo addresses issues with the board,” Heroux said.
He said difficulty filling positions on the charter board indicates a lack of community support.
Linssen disagreed. “It’s a common trend throughout the country that civic involvement is dwindling,” he said.
Karls agreed with Linssen.
“Just because we only have a few people interested in being on the board doesn’t mean the community doesn’t support (the charter schools),” Karls said.
But Heroux remained opposed to the decrease in charter board membership.
“You have only a few people making decisions,” he said. “This particularly addresses how it’s governed. The original charter had nine. This is the meat as to how you’re going to run that charter school.”
Karls agreed the memo doesn’t fix all the issues, but said, “The alternative is to give them the thumb screws because they don’t have nine people. They’re working to fix it.”
Board treasurer Cliff Gerbers noted the traditional School Board asked the two charter schools to consolidate to one board.
“And they did that,” Gerbers said. “It’s a Band-Aid to correct the problem.”
In a telephone interview, Ben Piaskowski, charter board president, said it was important to develop a formal agreement acknowledging changes occurring with the charter schools.
“Like all things, it’s a work in progress,” Piaskowski said. “The memo just makes things consistent with the current set-up.”
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