Charter School application gets go-ahead
Committee named to file application by August 1 deadline
Published in The Islander News June 19, 2008
CHARLOTTE MILLER. cmiller@islandernews.com
The Village Council gave the go-ahead at its June 10 meeting to a hastily formed ad hoc Charter School Application Committee.
The Council nod sets in motion the long and tedious process of filing a timely application necessary to create a Key Biscayne charter school. After hearing citizens' statements, and after much discussion, the Council unanimously approved the resolution.
The vast majority of Council meeting attendees were strongly in favor of moving forward. Council members themselves were personally in favor but administratively tentative of the upcoming process. The diffidence lies with the process itself and the many questions left unanswered.
The one dissenting voice of resident Camille Guething asked the Council to carefully consider giving the go-ahead without additional information.
"Having been there and done that, I can tell you that it is a tremendous undertaking, and we are undertaking a tremendous amount of what we don't know," she said. "We are asking for a lot - land, teachers, money - we ought to really consider this carefully."
Chamber of Commerce President Michele Estevez Hayes told the Council that the time is right to file the application. Reflecting on her role as a committee member to create the current K-8 Center she said, "We spent days after days and hours after hours working on this and look what we have today. There were many who were opposed, but we worked anyway.
"We have become a community to raise our children," she added, "I implore you to proceed and file the application."
But it was resident Leo Britto whose prepared statement to the Council received thunderous applause from audience members. Brito began by thanking Angel Martin for championing the Charter School cause.
"His determination and conviction got this movement started. He has addressed this issue of social advancement for the greater good and support of our children, our future leaders," he said of Martin.
Then, using the analogy of asking for a nickel for a parking meter to keep his meter running, he said, "Today, I'm asking you to support a nickel — a nickel on the surplus of this city's budget -$20,000 on a million dollars of surplus. Give me a nickel so I can get my application in, so I can keep my meter running," said Brito.
The Charter School application filing fee is $20,000.
"To what purpose," Brito continued, "is the infrastructure — the sewer, streets and landscaping —if the citizens who provide the funds for all of this do not get their fair share of allocation for the nourishment of the minds of their children and citizens?
"A Village with a misguided social purpose becomes a wasteland," he said.
Council member Patricia Weinman, while in favor of proceeding with the application, suggested proceeding with caution, especially after reading the recommendations put forth by consultant Doug Thomas, executive director of EdVisions Schools.
In a primary feasibility study presented to Council members, Thomas suggested that because of the volume of work involved in filing an application, the Council wait until August 2009 to file rather than August 2008.
"I want to know is there a risk? Is there a downside to filing the application this summer?" questioned Council member Weinman. "There doesn't seem to be any clear understanding that tells us, is the application amendable?
"We can't have anything but a successful application. Otherwise, we will be shortchanging the children and the community," she continued. "We need to be ready to hear what the consultants have to say."
Council member Enrique Garcia agreed.
"We really heard you," said Garcia addressing the audience. "We unanimously agreed to have this resolution on the agenda. But when I see doubt from the consultants we engaged, that worries me. I'm all for (filing the application) but our job is to make the right decision with right information."
Council member Steve Liedman said that the memos sent from EdVisions consultants sound like they are "waffling." Still, he asked, "Why stop (the process)?"
Council member Thomas Thornton acknowledged the community effort, and said, "We agreed to move forward last meeting. I don't want any more bureaucracy. We're talking about a 'nickel.' Sure, it's $20,000, but it is money well spent."
Vice Mayor Jorge Mendia addressed the audience by saying, "We know what you want. We hired a consultant to see if we can do it.
Council member Garcia said he had a number of concerns, among them the enormity of the task of application preparation.
"We are so far away," he said. "The chances of having a school by August 2009 are very slim. Don't assume this is a done deal."
Council member Mike Davey told the gathering, "I am a proponent of this high school. I have been since the beginning."
He also addressed persisting rumors about Council members stonewalling the process. "There have been accusations that we are throwing up roadblocks. No, we're not," he said. "But there are 11,000 residents on this Key and our job is to do the best by every one of them."
Mayor Bob Vernon also addressed the rumor mill as well as the Charter School application.
"Six years ago when I got on Council, there was no process, no transparency; things were done behind closed doors," he said. "That's not the way we operate.
"But," he continued. "We must follow this process carefully, because if we don't, believe me, it's going to go downhill. We have to go step-by-step.
'There are a half dozen elements that will go into opening this school that we don't have information on. We will be filing an application that will be missing a substantial amount of information. What are the risks? No one up here knows," said Vernon indicating fellow council members.
Committee formed
Since the Council meeting took place on June 10, the ad hoc Charter School Application Committee has held organizational meetings, appointing Leo Brito chair. The committee also is meeting with EdVisions consultant Doug Thomas this week. The committee has been charged with the task of presenting its completed application to the Village Council for endorsement.
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