Marden: Charter schools threaten the school board’s bottom line
Letter to the editor
Alachua County Public Schools and the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) are not worried about the Newberry charter school conversion so much as they are worried about the ripple effect this could have throughout the county. After years of failing our students, teachers, and parents while also failing to get buses to run on time, they know parents and teachers might look to replicate what Newberry has done. This threatens their bloated $612,000,000 budget and livelihood long-term if enough other schools follow suit.
A Conversion Charter has not been done in Florida for 30 years. This is the first time under the new State process and the first time a Conversion Charter has partnered with a City the way the City of Newberry has done in this instance.
The City has pledged $2.2M as a backstop loan until the school can begin receiving State funding in Fall 2026. This will not add to the burden of Newberry taxpayers. The money is set for repayment, with interest, if it is needed at all. The City has also offered to provide human resources services as a vendor to the Charter in order to maintain State retirement for the teachers. With approval now in hand, Newberry Community School can start applying for and receiving grants right away and may not need any funds from the City of Newberry.
Tina Certain was the only school board member at the hearing. She attempted to argue this is a municipal charter conversion because the City is involved. James Richmond, Deputy General Counsel for the Florida Department of Education, clarified that it is the governing body of the school that dictates the type of conversion. In this case, the board of Newberry Community School Inc. is the governing body of the charter school, not the City of Newberry.
Attorney Richmond also clarified the April 2024 vote. He said the statute (“at least 50 percent”) takes precedent over the Department of Education rule that required a majority vote for both parents and teachers. He said the rule had been in existence for many years, but the Newberry vote brought to light the conflict between the statute and the rule verbiage. He went on to say it did not matter because the State Statute trumps the rule, anyway, and this is supported by case law. He said, “Otherwise you would have administrators writing rules which undermine the law. And we can’t have that.” The State has since gone back and brought the rule in line with the Statute.
In Florida, the tax money paid to county school boards has historically followed the child. With the increase of schooling option alternatives, like the Newberry Community School, the economic viability of public schools is severely threatened.
I recently spoke with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, founder of Excellence In Education, and he said, “Public school enrollment is on track to decrease as much as 25% in the next 5 to 10 years. Public school boards will have to adapt or cease to exist by sheer math. They will be unsustainable.”
For a more detailed account of the Charter Review Commission meeting, please watch the February 26 video explanation on my Facebook Page.
Tim Marden, Newberry City Commissioner
The opinions expressed by letter or opinion writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AlachuaChronicle.com. Assertions of facts in letters are similarly the responsibility of the author. Letters may be submitted to info@alachuachronicle.com and are published at the discretion of the editor.
Mr. Marden is correct about the potential ripple effect. If Newberry Elementary is more successful than SBAC, which shouldn’t be too difficult, it will definitely spur other towns to seek the same option.
This is not much of an achievement for the city of Newberry and its leaders. Converting an “A” school into a charter school. Wow…great job. Lol….you really had to work for that one. And you get a building along with it……with the New Publix, you get that BOGO deal. Stop hiding what this is all about. Now you get to pick and choose and don’t have to teach all of our children. You basically get to hand pick your students. If they do not meet your “Newberry” standards, you can move them out and let someone else pick up your slack.
In case you haven’t noticed, most universities do the same but there doesn’t seem to be many complaints about that.
Public schools are not the same as universities which are selective, and by law must take all eligible students regardless of physical and mental handicaps. I think most Americans approve of this long standing tradition.
And? I didn’t compare public schools to universities.
Thanks for reinforcing the fact that universities are selective though.
Even if your child has a Bright Futures Scholarship, that doesn’t mean they’ll get into the university they would like.
Bruh, you rigged the game and stole a school. Literally.
Wrong. The state rule was in conflict with the state law and the state law takes precedent.
People using terms like “bruh” are exactly what leads to proper parents removing their children from public schools.
Hey, Jim Bob, I mean….. “bruh”, you make my point exactly with your statement. Because someone may not speak like you is your reason why they should convert a school that is already an “A” school. You are ok with excluding students that may not speak like your children or share the same values as your children. Just make sure your kiddos attend regularly and do not receive discipline referrals, because they will be shipped off quick, so that Newberry Charter teachers and administration do not have to do the real work. Most likely, they will do what most Charter Schools do, they simply won’t document those things. They will just let the parents know that their student doesn’t meet the standards of the “Stepford” children at Newberry Charter.
What is a bruh???
Falling or fluctuating birthrates are another factor in general, nationally. One reason Dems wanted open borders was to stuff public skool headcounts, for funding levels. As well as reversing population declines (in voting districts) due to fleeing, declining families. Because Dems are not the party of families anymore, but single bitter women and transgenders. 👿👹🤡👺💩
Yeah, because there are just millions and millions of them and most immigrants are trans.
You left out that Trump counties produced 38% of our GDP while Harris counties produced 62%.
Do you have a source for that?
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/trump-again-won-counties-representing-a-minority-share-of-national-gdp-but-with-notable-gains/
Not exactly academic but okay boomer.
Where are students going if there will be a decrease of 25% in the next 5-10 years? Private schools now funded by Florida tax payers with choice vouchers? Home school? Charters? This is a public charter- meaning it is essentially a public school. Even if more areas do this, it is still considered public. Does that mean these state Charters will also lose 25% of their enrollment. Yes, districts will lose that funding but it is still state funds and considered public education. The charter school will essentially be a smaller district with a governing board still over it. They will still get the same amount of state funding as normal public school per student. Being a smaller district all these funds will be put into the schools in that immediate area vs spread to divided up unequally. The biggest negative in all is they can turn away students who they deem do not fit their school. This is where public education in a normal public school really differs. A normal public school has to accept every single student in their zone. Behavior issues, ESE, low academic performance, etc. It is a right in the United States to have public education- when you can turn a student away in what you are calling a “public” school that taxpayers pay for is where I have issue. Especially when you are taking away a space/building and school that is NOT failing to do so.
I hear the new Terwilliger has lots of available enrollment.
A solid C school?
Unincorporated Alachua County is like the red-headed step child in this whole charter conversion situation, especially if other towns follow suit as Marden suggests.
It’s clear Newberry is looking out for Newberry and that the conversion will only be for Newberry as soon as they can get those current Jonesville kids through. Then, if Archer, High Springs, and Alachua follow suit, those of us in no-man’s land will be at the mercy of Gainesville. But Gainesville has proved for decades that it doesn’t care about us. The proof is in how they ran GRU.
The SBAC doesn’t care either. They have no issue approving development after development in the western half of the county without expanding school capacity. They even decided to close a westside school. Indeed, if some have their way, they would bus our kids to eastside schools for diversity. They don’t care about whatever hardship we face as a consequence. Our kids are pawns in their quest to improve outcomes for eastside kids.
So yes, Tim, I hear you loud and clear just like I hear the SBAC and the City of Gainesville. I applaud you for all you do for the City of Newberry. I get it even with the adverse effects that will ultimately befall all of us in no man’s land
The State of Florida needs to take over the ACSB.Time to pay the teachers properly and educate the kidos.
Parents should pay the total cost for their kids in school…after all, it’s their kids!
don’t breed em if you can’t educate & feed em”.
It’s called personal responsibility.
I pay $12,000/year and have no children.
The Florida constitution needs to be changed that parents should pay half and taxpayers the other half for their in the school pipeline…
Or, send kids to public school, then they’re obligated to military public service when they graduate.
That’s seems fair.
Who paid for you education Bull?
Private catholic school with nuns in first & second grade…went to public school then UF. My parents back then but it was different in the 1960’s …boys were boys and girls were girls. Things were simple. Be disruptive in class, get paddled. But, I’m really self educated.
You spent 10 years in public schools, then 4 at a taxpayer subsidized state university and you’re bitching about paying for the education of kids who the economy – and government functions like SS and Medicare – will depend on in your old age?
1. Your claim that the $2.2M pledge from City of Newberry is just a backstop and most likely won’t be needed lacks any foundation. All one has to do is look at original budget presentations by Yes Newberry that show the NES operating at about a $2M deficit. Curious that that is the amount of the supposed “backstop”. Even the budget submitted in the application does not work without the money from the city.
2. Municipal Charter – this is a de facto municipal conversion charter (which is not allowed per statute) because of the funding. Also, originally, the city commission was set to be the governing board and was only changed when it was pointed out that having the city commission as the governing board was not allowed. The “partnership” you speak of IS NOT ALLOWED.
3. Statute and Rule were not in conflict, as the word majority includes “at least 50%”. The rule serves as a clarification. For that matter, if the statute truly trumped the rule because of conflict, then there was no need to change the wording of the rule in the first place. Regardless, the official result was the vote failed, therefore, by statute, the application should not have been submitted. The application therefore is invalid and should never have been considered in the first place.
4. Children have a fundamental right to a free and fair education. This is why we pay taxes for public education. Those funds should not be diverted to charters and private schools because that essentially leads to the fall of public education and then we are in a scenario where only the chosen receive an education. That is not good for anyone.
LOL… that was NOT a clarification. I am not fond of the charter conversion, but the mental gymnastics y’all do to prove the rule aligns with the statute crack me up.
The FL DOE screwed up when they wrote the rule. When it came to light just recently, they fixed it. Yes, that’s why they fixed it: because they tightened a threshold and they do not have the authority to do so. Not a clarification!
Considering the rule at the time used the word “majority”, which by definition includes “at least 50%” mathematically speaking, and the statute itself references the rule “… according to the rules adopted by the state department of education”, the two were not in conflict of each other. For that matter, if they were in fact in conflict with each other and in that instance the statute would supersede the rule, then why the push to change the wording before this application was submitted?
The fact of the matter is the district has jurisdiction over the ballot process, and the official result was all three schools failed. This is why this should wind up in the courts. Taking over a perfectly decent school (A rated I might add) that decreases options for area students is not in the best interests for everyone, but instead for those who consider themselves better than everyone else.
It’s not rocket science, it’s basic math. A majority is greater than 50%. At least 50% is greater than or EQUAL TO 50%, The rule changed the threshold; it made it more stringent.
The FL BOE doesn’t have the authority to change a parameter in a law. They screwed up. They acknowledged that and fixed it.
Yes, it was a Hail Mary for the conversion folks, finding out that the statute differed from the rule.
Again with the mental gymnastics, though. By your reasoning, the rule could have specified any percentage greater than 50%. Would you give me the same logic if the rule had said 75% instead of “a majority”?
A clown school board elected by clowns. These schools are a joke. The IB program was started to keep motivated kids in the public school system.
Marden, since we taxpayers pay for the schools, I’m not getting how the SBAC’s concern with the bottom line is a bad thing. Of course they and we should be concerned about giving you a building.
Hey Jazz, That “building” was bought and paid for by taxpayers here in Newberry. It’s not given if you know anything about conversion charter law you understand its use only, and charter must fully maintain it. Which means the local community controls its use and safety. No longer waiting months of cold or heat to have a comfortable learning environment or numerous pest issues causing illness to staff and kids.
Watch and learn, you’ll want the same for your local neighborhood school once you see this successful school. Newberry school board will be able to serve our local kids better than failure of the ACPS.
It was paid for by Alachua County taxpayers and no one asked if Newberry residents made up enough of the tax base to cover that building. Now that it’s been developed as a full bore bedroom community for Gainesville and it’s exurbs, with attendant increasing tax receipts, let’s see how that money gets divided.
Again, you are incorrect
Right last time I check Jazzman Newberry is part of this left leaning county so their tax dollars paid for this school and then more schools across the county. Over time those in Newberry paid more than the school value and portables annually. How do I know because I actually looked up records and census and average tax rates over the existence of the school. Even on a conservative scale Newberry had paid more than its fair share and doesn’t get all the funding it’s allocated by SBAC.
Again it’s not stealing anything, please educate yourself on the charter law on use of the property. There are no proposed increasing taxes so please stop the mis information, this is about loss of control and money not the students for SBAC.
Arguing because you don’t like results of the states action doesn’t change the result of the decision no matter how much you complain. It’s happening.
SBAC should focus on improving what they have control of before other neighborhoods get the same idea like these parents did. Smaller locally controlled school districts are better for growing communities like Newberry. SBAC had been failing for over a decade when is this kind of failing enough for people to accept the change is needed and desired by many!
Could you give us a short summary – with numbers – of your research please?
Losing students = loss of control and money and all 3 should be of concern to SBAC and taxpayers.
They care about the bottom line while having a top heavy administration and a serious layers of management problem? They blew through the ESSER money like it was nothing. They care so much about the bottom line that they refuse to pay their teachers a raise that keeps up with inflation. Yet, in this time of attrition of funding, how many employees have they let go over at Kirby?
They seem more worried about this conversion and fighting to keep books on the shelves, when they need to focus on educating students (in a safe environment)
The school board does not have the students needs at the top of its list. So many cannot read or write at grade level. SBAC cannot provide busses. Developments are creating a serious problem. I would not buy a house in the rural parts of the County if I could not afford a private school. DEI has caused so many problems with significant monies being spent on special bathrooms and locker rooms for starters. The interim superintendent’s salary is higher than the Governor’s. Teachers do not receive realistic compensation for their job. Discipline is horrendous and teachers have to put up with it. I could go on and on but those of us who have watched over the years know the failure of our school board. I do not live in Newberry but applaud the work they’ve done. Our two boys attended Grades K-12 and recognize that we continue to pay taxes for future generations who will be the leaders of the future.
I for one appreciate Newberry stealing an elementary school from the county. The students will not be woke, but they will have a heavy indoctrination on the virtues of worshiping Brother John Birch and why hating 1950s Soviet style Communism is the number one duty of a MAGA American citizen. Yes, Newberry MAGA Madrassa Elementary School will turn out fine CONservative citizens. I cannot wait.