More News

The proposed Carroll Creek Montessori Charter School moved one step closer to becoming reality this week with the conditional support of Frederick County Schools Superintendent Linda D. Burgee.

Advocates of the proposed charter school would first have to lay out a stable budget, secure grants and show they can hire a qualified principal and teachers for their Spanish immersion program.

Most importantly, if the school board approves the proposal, which it was scheduled to discuss Wednesday night after The Gazette's deadline, organizers will have 90 days to find an appropriate building in which to have classes.

(Read about the school board's decision today online at www.gazette.net.)

This is the first time Burgee has recommended charter school approval in her five-year tenure as superintendent. Both she and the school board rejected proposals for an all-girls charter school in 2007 and 2008 because of concerns for the school's finances, facilities and curriculum.

Historically, the school board has followed the superintendent's recommendations for charter schools, but board members are free to make their own decisions, said Michele Kranz, school system charter school liaison.

"It is not the superintendent's decision, it's the board's decision," she said.

Aside from the charter school application, the school board will have to consider on Wednesday if the system can support the charter school financially.

If the school is approved, the board would need to provide $800,000 in start-up funds, which represents the per-pupil allocation for 100 students in the new school, Kranz said.

"Most people think that this is cost-neutral because the money follows the kids," Kranz said, but added that is not the case.

The problem is that when the board opens a charter school, that creates a need for new teachers without eliminating the need for existing staff at other schools, Kranz said, because not all of the students will come from the same school or even the same grade.

Katie Groth, president of the school board, said she would be most concerned about that issue when she votes.

"There are very serious financial issues that we will have to address," she said. "... That is a funding challenge."

Board members are wary of creating more financial obligations for the future of county schools, she said.

Finding a location has been the one major hurdle for charter school advocates, who said they couldn't lease a building without the school board approving the school.

But Burgee said this was just one of many factors leading her to recommend approval for the school.

Burgee said she only could see minor issues in the charter school application and for the most part, organizers already have been able to answer most of her questions.

"I felt it was very organized, very complete and instructionally sound program," she said on Tuesday.

Burgee's only other concern was if the school would be able to secure Maryland-certified, Montessori-trained, Spanish-speaking teachers for its partial language immersion program.

"We know we as a system struggle to find Spanish-certified teachers," she said.

If approved, the Carroll Creek Montessori Charter School would educate 250 students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.

It would open in August with 60 students in pre-K and 100 students in kindergarten through third grade; an additional grade would be added each year until it reaches eighth grade.

For the most part, the school will be modeled after the Monocacy Valley Montessori Public Charter School — the only charter school operating in Frederick County.

Both schools will use Montessori teaching methods, emphasizing hands-on, self-guided learning. The new school would operate under the umbrella of Monocacy Montessori Communities Inc., the nonprofit group that runs the existing charter school.

The new charter school also will offer a Spanish-track program, in which one class of students per grade would get most instruction in Spanish; two other classes would receive instruction mostly in English.

Julie Clark and Jen Pfeifer, the most active advocates for the new charter school, could not be reached for comment before The Gazette's press time.

mraycheva@gazette.net