Horizon loses contract

PALMER -- Horizon Charter School must close its doors in the Mat-Su, concluded the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board at a special meeting Monday night.

The meeting was called to determine the fate of the school's charter. After a 30-day appeal period in which the school's Academic Policy Committee had a chance to appeal the initial termination vote of May 5, the board concluded that a lack of an appeal request and new problems arising within the school warranted the termination of the school's contract, with board member Larry DeVilbiss in opposition.

"A vote to not appeal is a vote for termination, there cannot be any other way to look at it," said board member Sarah Welton. "It is a vote to accept it."

Joy Vaughn, Horizon's APC chairperson, said that the 'no-confidence' vote taken by the committee did not mean the board had to continue with the termination of the charter school, which opened its doors in spring 2003.

"The APC voted not to appeal, there isn't a question about that," Vaughn said. "We did not vote to terminate the school, that leaves the ball in your court."

After the meeting, Vaughn's daughter, C.J., a member of the APC and a student at Horizon, explained why she voted not to appeal the termination.

"I did not wish to see students, staff and the like hurt by the district's unwillingness to take proper procedure to address problems and concerns," C.J. said. "I had to consider our future with the district; I saw a pattern, and unless the pattern is addressed and changed, it hurts the students and staff."

During the meeting, Chief School Administrator Bob Doyle presented a verbal report on how Horizon had responded to the termination letter sent to the school a month before.

"The letter asked for a written plan for remediation, to discuss what will be done different in the following year. I did not find any description of a plan for next year," Doyle said.

DeVilbiss and Horizon parents questioned whether the letter was clear on what the board and district required of the school. Horizon did provide a three-inch stack of documentation from the 2003-2004 school year to the district and board, with explanations on why some of the early complaints made against the school were incorrect.

"Communication is the hardest thing in life. Sometimes we don't always hear what someone is saying, and sometimes we aren't always clear about what we want," said parent Anne Marie Acord. "Mr. Doyle expected something for the future, while they provided something for the past."

Questions on a new lease for the school, which no longer had the district's name on the master lease, and transcript issues surrounding recent graduates were also discussed during Monday's meeting.

"It is the responsibility of each individual principal and counselor of the school to ensure that their students can walk at graduation," Doyle explained after the board questioned why the district had not caught possible discrepancies in seniors' transcripts until now. It is not yet known if any seniors received diplomas without the required credits.

It took three different attempts at motions by both DeVilbiss and board member Linda Menard to allow the audience, primarily Horizon parents, to speak at the meeting. DeVilbiss made a motion to not terminate the contract and establish a committee to deal with the school, but no other member seconded the motion. At the end of the meeting, DeVilbiss voiced his concern with the board's action or lack thereof.

"I think it is our job as board members to be independent, to work things out. It's not that things can't fail, but there has to be a process," DeVilbiss said. "That falls squarely on our shoulders, and I'm disappointed that no one wants to work on it."

Welton spoke to the lack of responsiveness to work through problems by the school itself.

"When I make a mistake, I correct it. If I can't correct it, I start anew, but I don't make excuses," Welton said.

Board members also said they support the teachers at Horizon despite the many problems with paperwork and administrative duties.

"I want Mr. Roper to know his efforts have been appreciated," said board member Robert Johnson.

In order to serve the needs of Horizon's students, Roper has been moved to the Home School Support Program, Track II at the Correspondence Study School, where he will work with the students and parents from Horizon Charter School.

"We are working to fulfill our responsibility to our students, and we are working to ensure that they are cared for," said district spokesperson Kim Floyd.

A meeting is scheduled for June 17 at 7 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Palmer to discuss options for Horizon students for the upcoming school year. Parents are encouraged to attend. For more information on the meeting, call 761-4002.