Leader Editorial: Charter schools have a place in community

After tentatively approving the Giligia Charter Academy last month, the Burbank Unified School Board rejected its petition.

On its face, the reasoning is clearly defensible: The school has yet to get a building, the presented budget seems a bit hinky, and its unclear if Giligia could hire enough teachers and get adequate supplies to open its doors this fall. But scratch the surface, and it’s clear there’s more going on here.

When the board gave its conditional blessing on June, members couched the move as one they had to make. Charters are a matter of state law, and if you jump through the hoops, school boards have little discretion. Then came a forum earlier this month that drew hundreds of local parents, most of them concerned that approving a charter would set a bad precedent, that such schools would leech away money from the district.

Others questioned the need for the Armenian-focused curriculum Giligia would offer, noting it might negatively impact the district’s diversity. Additionally, school board members said the issues and concerns facing recent immigrants — a stated goal of the would-be charter — would be better addressed within the district.

Lost in all this discussion, though, is the fact that Burbank already has a charter school, Options for Youth, which serves kids who don’t fit in with regular schools for whatever reason. It would be a stretch to claim Options for Youth has diluted Burbank Unified’s educational prowess, and incorrect to claim district schools can offer everything Options can.

To this end, we ask parents to not reflexively reject charter schools, but to weigh the pros and cons dispassionately. It’s worth a public discussion on how, exactly, Burbank Unified can better serve recent immigrants. If it’s not practical or possible, then Giligia has a clear, and valid, reason for being, and it should open as soon as it gets its issues worked out.