New charter school gets OK to seek grant money

PALMER — The Mat-Su Borough School District Board of Education has allowed developers of a new charter school off Knik-Goose Bay Road to apply for a $208,265 grant to develop Valley Tech High, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District’s newest campus.

That decision came after some discussion about whether district staff strongly back the move. Reports on issues to the school board often end with a staff recommendation to approve or deny a policy or appropriation. In the case of the charter school, staff did neither, leaving the board to act on its own volition.

Although the new school got the go-ahead to seek funding, the board aired some misgivings about the proposal last week.

“We questioned some of the allocations,” board president Larry De Vilbiss said after Wednesday’s regular school board meeting. He said too much is being spent on some things “and not enough on the nuts and bolts of starting a new school.”

Appropriate changes were made, De Vilbiss said.

One board member was absent and only one member present, Dan Contini, voted against giving school founders permission to apply for the last half of their more than $416,000 startup grant.

Some board members commented on the unusual way the school was being developed, but agreed by the end of the discussion that nothing appears improper about the school’s spending on staff development and professional services. The district’s staff report acknowledged that approving the grant request is consistent with district policy.

“In addition to professional development opportunities, services, supplies and equipment will be purchased to assist in the initial start-up of the charter school,” says a memorandum to the board from Luanne Domke, director of federal programs. “This grant will address school board goals by providing alternative educational opportunities for students, which will reduce the drop out rate and increase student success.”

The grant can’t be used to pay staff salaries.

Some board members expressed concern about how the charter school is being developed, including that cash is being spent on things like consulting fees. This cash could go to equip the new campus, scheduled to open next year on land just off Knik-Goose Bay Road.

This school is separate from Mat-Su Career and Technical High School, which opened near Teeland Junior High in August and draws students from other high schools as well as serving its own full-time students.

Valley Tech High will rise near the Iditarod race headquarters on land leased from a native corporation.

It is patterned after an Anchorage school and eventually hopes serve all grade levels.

Contact John R. Moses at 352-2270 or john.moses@frontiersman.com.