Charter school parents want to have bigger say

Communication took center stage at Tuesday's meeting of the Northern Kane Educational Corp. board -- the body that governs the Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove.

In recent weeks, charter school stakeholders have said the school needs to do a better job communicating with parents, teachers and officials in Community Unit District 300, of which the charter school is a part.

"The parents are very frustrated because they're not being heard," said District 300 board member Monica Clark, the district's liaison to the charter school and a parent of a student at the school.

Northern Kane board members on Tuesday acknowledged the concerns and pledged to improve communication with the community.

"If there are some things to improve on, we're committed to hearing concerns and making some improvements," said Northern Kane board member Bill Doran, also principal of Westfield Community School.

Jerry Conrad, Northern Kane board chairman and vice president of Cambridge Homes, called the town hall meeting scheduled for Friday on the charter school "a step in the right direction."

"It clearly is attempting to respond to the concerns we've heard," Conrad said. "We want to answer the questions that are out there."

The meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Cambridge Lakes community center, 1125 Wester Blvd., Pingree Grove.

Charter school parents, 13 who attended the Tuesday meeting, said they had not been given the opportunity to serve on the charter school's six-member parent council or attend the group's meetings.

"We're all concerned parents and none of us have been allowed to be there," charter school parent Julie Mahaffy said.

Northern Kane Executive Director Larry Fuhrer said parents had the opportunity to volunteer -- and didn't.

"There were repeated overtures to volunteer for this, and there was very little response," Fuhrer said.

Parents disagreed.

"I was informed their meetings were closed and I could not attend," charter school parent and Pingree Grove Trustee Greg Marston said after the meeting.

Conrad said Northern Kane would make sure parent council meetings were open to all parents.

"I certainly wasn't aware that no one was invited to go to that meeting," Conrad said. "I think participation is important and I encourage it. We will find a way to make it up."