Charter school to stay open during legal battle
Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake won't have to close while fighting an unfavorable ruling from a lawsuit that could determine its future, according to an Illinois appellate court order.
Three 1st District Appellate Court justices on Monday found in favor of Prairie Crossing's motion to stay a Cook County judge's order and allow the charter school to remain open while continuing its legal fight against Gurnee-based Woodland Elementary District 50.
Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Allen ruled in March in favor of District 50's lawsuit seeking to overturn the Illinois State Charter School Commission's decision to let Prairie Crossing continue operating through the 2018-19 academic year. Allen ruled the state agency erred in its decision.
"If we deny a stay," the appellate justices wrote, "the charter school would essentially have to close for a year while the appeal was briefed and decided. If, after that denial, this court then reversed the trial court and reinstated the commission's decision, the charter renewal would stand, but there would have been a great disruption in the education of hundreds of children."
Open since 1999, Prairie Crossing has had an environmentally focused curriculum that includes outdoor teaching and trash-free lunches. The 432-student capacity school is within the borders of District 50 and Fremont Elementary District 79 in the Mundelein area - both would take in Prairie Crossing's children if it were to close.
District 50 school board President Chris Schrantz said the stage is set for the sides to present their cases to the appellate court. He noted the justices' decision to allow Prairie Crossing to remain open during the appeal did not address the merits of Allen's ruling that the charter school should not have been renewed through the 2018-19 academic season.
"Although Woodland stands ready to enroll those (Prairie Crossing) students residing within its boundaries, it respects the court's decision and will abide by it," Schrantz said in a statement Wednesday.
District 50 alleged in the suit, filed in Cook County last year, that Prairie Crossing should not have been allowed to stay open because it violated its last five-year charter approval in 2009 by not increasing student diversity as directed.
Agreeing with District 50, Allen ruled in favor of reversing the charter school commission's decision allowing Prairie Crossing to continue. He also denied a motion to reconsider the ruling at a June 11 hearing, which led to the case landing in appellate court.
Prairie Crossing Executive Director Geoff Deigan expressed satisfaction with Monday's appellate court order. He said it's hoped the court decides the case before the 2016-17 academic year.
Children in districts 50 and 79 may attend Prairie Crossing, which determines enrollment by lottery. While most of Prairie Crossing's children come from District 50, both districts lodged objections with the state before the charter school opened, in part, due to funding requirements.
Documents show District 50 was required to divert $2.8 million in state aid to pay for 309 children who enrolled at Prairie Crossing in the 2013-14 academic year. District 79 shipped $779,516 for 79 of its children who chose to attend Prairie Crossing.
District 50 named the state charter school commission, Prairie Crossing and the Illinois State Board of Education in the complaint filed in May 2014.