advertisement

Prairie Crossing school to run 'as normal,' officials say

Official: Rulling won't close school

Prairie Crossing Charter School leaders sent a note to parents last week that assured them classes would resume after spring break and the school would operate "as normal" in the wake of a judge's ruling that could lead to a shutdown there.

Students were back at the Grayslake charter school Monday. The children's return came a week after Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Allen found that a state agency erred in granting another charter allowing the small, public choice school to operate through the 2018-19 academic season.

Administrators and school board members provided assurance to parents in a letter sent Friday. The charter school eventually could be forced to close if Allen's ruling stands.

"Yes, (the charter school) will be open on Monday," the administrators and board members wrote. "And we will continue to function as normal at a minimum throughout this school year."

Executive Director Geoff Deigan couldn't be reached for elaboration.

Of concern at Prairie Crossing is a lawsuit filed by Gurnee-based Woodland Elementary District 50. Woodland has been at odds with Prairie Crossing since it opened more than 15 years ago because state law requires District 50 to send state aid money to the charter school to cover children whose parents shift them there from the larger district.

Woodland alleged in the suit the Illinois State Charter School Commission last year should not have voted to allow Prairie Crossing to stay open because it did not boost student diversity as directed in its last approval in 2009.

Allen agreed with Woodland's argument, which included the percentage of at-risk students in each school system. Woodland has about 31 percent low-income students compared to Prairie Crossing's 0.5 percent, according to the most recent 2014 Illinois State Board of Education report card.

Transcripts of the March 23 hearing show Allen said evidence in the case led him to conclude the state charter school commission committed "a mistake" by granting Prairie Crossing permission to operate for another five years.

"Anybody that knows how political creatures, legislators and others go down to Springfield and do their job, they do it because they are trying to fix something, or people want it or their voters want it," Allen said. "That is what is going on there. They went down, created a charter school act to help different types of education, not to exclude people that don't incorporate all the at-risk kids."

Charter school officials said a motion will be filed to stay Allen's ruling in an effort to allow the school's continued operation until the case is decided by a state appellate court.

Open since 1999, Prairie Crossing has an environmentally focused curriculum. The 432-student capacity school is within the borders of Woodland and Fremont Elementary District 79 in the Mundelein area.

Woodland and Fremont parents may send their children to Prairie Crossing, which determines enrollment by lottery. Woodland generally has been required to send about $3 million in state aid annually to support children from the district at the charter school.

Prairie Crossing is one of four state-authorized charter schools. Unlike traditional public schools, the charter schools launched by the state must go through a periodic renewal process.

Prairie Crossing charter renewed but must diversify

Dist. 50 files suit over Grayslake charter school staying open

Woodland District 50: Legal tab worth fight challenging Grayslake charter school

District 50, Grayslake charter school clash over lawsuit hearing

Judge: Grayslake charter school should not have been renewed

Logo for Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake.
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.