School Choice & Charters

Charter Schools

October 08, 2003 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Calif. Fight Ends

Ending a legal battle over the contentious issue of charter school facilities, a California appeals court has ruled that a local school district must offer space to a charter school that serves a critical mass of students from the district—even if another school system gave the school its charter.

The fight between the Sequoia Union High School District and the 90-student Aurora High School in Redwood City, Calif., has been closely watched, in part because it involves Proposition 39, a ballot measure passed three years ago that required districts to provide space for charter schools.

Even though Aurora High serves grades 9-12, it received its five-year charter in 1999 from the Redwood City school system, a K-8 district that feeds into the 7,500-student Sequoia Union district.

So when the school asked Sequoia for space under Proposition 39, the district sued in state court. It argued that Redwood City, as the authorizer, was responsible.

A San Mateo County Superior Court judge disagreed, and on Sept. 25, a three-judge appeals court panel unanimously affirmed that judgment.

Both Sequoia Union’s superintendent and Aurora High’s principal have come on board since the legal fight began 17 months ago, and the district has offered the school space in one of its high schools. But the school found the site unsuitable, and is staying put in rented space.

Still, Aurora High Principal Noah Salzman called the ruling “a wonderful victory for charter schools as a whole in California.”

Pat Gemma, Sequoia’s schools chief, said last week that he did not expect the district to appeal the ruling.

Self-Evaluation

The nation’s only mayor with the authority to charter schools has issued a warts-and-all evaluation of how well the first three schools he authorized performed in their inaugural year of operation.

“2003 Accountability Report on Mayor-Sponsored Charter Schools,” is available from the City of Indianapolis. (Requires Adobe’s Acrobat Reader.)

The report by Mayor Bart Peterson of Indianapolis shows uneven performance among the schools, both on standardized-test scores and in surveys of parent and staff satisfaction. Mr. Peterson, who was expected this week to charter his 10th school, vowed to produce similar reports in the future as part of an accountability system his office crafted in consultation with national experts.

Caroline Hendrie

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Improving Outcomes on State Assessments with Data-Driven Strategies
State testing is around the corner! Join us as we discuss how teachers can use formative data to drive improved outcomes on state assessments.
Content provided by Instructure
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Disrupting PD Day in Schools with Continuous Professional Learning Experiences
Hear how this NC School District achieved district-wide change by shifting from traditional PD days to year-long professional learning cycles
Content provided by BetterLesson

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Choice & Charters Opinion A Charter Academy Delivering a ‘Classical’ Education Grows in Popularity
At its core, Great Hearts Academy seeks to foster virtuous human beings, explains the schools' CEO.
5 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters A Proposed Catholic Charter School Is New Test for Religion and Public Education
With a favorable state attorney general's opinion in hand, Catholic officials are set to ask for approval of the first religious charter.
10 min read
Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor speaks during a bill signing ceremony for a bill making it a felony to perform an abortion, punishable by up to 10 years in prison, Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Oklahoma City.
Then-Oklahoma Attorney General John M. O'Connor, shown last year in Oklahoma City, issued an advisory opinion last December that bolstered the prospects of charter schools sponsored by religious institutions.
Sue Ogrocki/AP
School Choice & Charters Opinion How Are Charter Schools Faring in Our Polarized Political Era?
There are several distinct and passionate school communities that reside under the charter school banner. Can they work alongside another?
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters What to Know About a Neo-Nazi Home-School Scandal
Three things to know about how the incident connects to broader public education debates.
6 min read
Tight crop of hands typing on a laptop overlaid with a window that includes a video play button and red progress bar.
iStock/Getty Images Plus