Prairie Crossing, District 50 ready to work together
Officials at Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake have removed some of the edge from their tussle with Woodland Elementary District 50 over funding.
At Tuesday's board meeting, Prairie Crossing board President Steve Achtemeier said a recent, "very cordial" meeting with Woodland officials ended with both sides agreeing it would be beneficial to work together regarding a possible change in how state aid is distributed. State law dictates how the charter school is funded.
Achtemeier wrote in a report for the meeting that supporters are being encouraged to contact state lawmakers and let them know the charter school deserves equitable funding.
In addition, an advocacy task force is under consideration at Prairie Crossing. Under the proposal, Achtemeier said, some parents would attend Woodland board meetings to monitor potential discussion involving the charter school, then report back to Prairie Crossing officials.
Concern arose at Prairie Crossing, an environmentally focused public choice school, after Gurnee-based District 50 made an unsuccessful effort last summer to get the Illinois State Board of Education to revoke Prairie Crossing's charter. Achtemeier previously said Woodland's move was perceived as a threat to the charter school.
Prairie Crossing, which has a 392-student capacity, is within the boundaries of Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 and Fremont Elementary District 79. Illinois' per-pupil financial aid follows Woodland and Fremont children who attend Prairie Crossing, where enrollment is determined by lottery.
District 50 officials earlier this month expressed concern about the system's general state aid supporting Prairie Crossing. They contend the state must find another funding mechanism other than shipping Woodland's share of general aid to cover students who are sent to the choice school.
Prairie Crossing Director Nigel Whittington said the charter school ultimately receives less public funding per student than Woodland.
"I think Steve (Achtemeier) and I committed to working with them as long as they are not attacking us in public and working to find solutions," Whittington said.
Of roughly $3.47 million in general state aid allotted to Woodland for the 2011-12 academic year, a little more than $3 million will be diverted to Prairie Crossing. A Woodland report states 324 of the district's students are enrolled at Prairie Crossing.
Woodland officials said about $461,000 in state aid will be left for 6,750 pupils who are in the district for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.
District 50 representatives have said they plan to work with state legislators in an effort to change how charter schools are funded.
Illinois has 50 smaller charter schools, with 37 of them in Chicago, according to the state board of education. The only two in the suburbs are Prairie Crossing and a building operated by Carpentersville-based Community Unit District 300.
Under a proposal floated by Woodland officials, the state would directly fund any charter school not approved by voters or boards from local school districts. The state granted a charter to Prairie Crossing, which opened in 1999 over the formal objections of the Fremont and Woodland boards.