Charter School Trend Worries Romer

The Los Angeles Board of Education moved closer Tuesday to allowing seven schools to become independent charter campuses, including the prestigious Granada Hills High School, but the district’s superintendent raised questions about the financial, racial and academic effects on other schools.

Supt. Roy Romer said the growing charter school movement may damage the chances for passage future school construction bond issues to relieve overcrowding. The warning was aimed at Granada Hills High and other schools that have high test scores and serve affluent, politically active areas.

“We need their support,” Romer said. “They are some of the strongest [schools] among us.”

Romer said charters in the west San Fernando Valley and Westside may alter the district’s racial makeup.

“They represent a large proportion of white students,” Romer said, triggering jeers from charter supporters. “Nobody is racist in this room, but we need to know what we’re doing here.”

The board discussed Granada Hills’ petition and six other proposals to either convert existing schools into charters, extend current charters or establish new ones. Palisades Charter High, for example, is seeking to change from a “dependent” charter, with close district ties, to an “independent” charter, with more autonomy.

Charter schools receive public money but are free to pursue their own curricula and policies. If local districts refuse to grant such charters, schools can appeal to the county or state.

Five plans were placed on the school board’s May 13 consent agenda, an action that usually means approval. A plan for a Westside K-8 campus will be debated more because of curriculum questions, and there are financial questions about the Palisades proposal.

Some charter school supporters charged that the district, which has approved 52 charters so far, now wants to stop the movement by requiring or increasing lease payments. Some older charter campuses paid no such fees until their five-year charters faced renewal.

“They have to come up with things to stop this onslaught” of charter schools, said Yvonne Chan, principal of Vaughn Next Century Learning Center in San Fernando. The 10-year-old charter school is seeking a renewal, but the district wants to double the current annual $200,000 facilities fee. Granada Hills High could face a payment of $1.27 million a year.

Hal Kwalwasser, the district’s general counsel, said such payments are needed to support the entire system. “It’s unfair for the remaining schools to carry the costs of those schools that left,” he said.

Other petitions included the conversion of Pacoima Elementary, the renewal of Fenton Charter in Lake View Terrace, and the establishment of Crenshaw Arts-Tech Charter High.