A Step Closer to a Charter School

within the school district was unanimously approved by the school board, as members expressed guarded optimism.

The first step in the plan, which was approved Thursday, calls for the district to hire consultants to help with the application process. Once that is complete, the application will come back to the trustees for approval.

Superintendent Jeffrey Felix also plans to form a community advisory committee to oversee the process of converting Palm Academy into a charter school. He mentioned that former trustee Bill Seager had expressed interest in serving on the panel. 

There was general support among board members for the idea of creating a blended online/classroom-based learning experience, a so-called “click and brick” curriculum for high school students. But they also raised some concerns.

Dawn Ovrom objected to the name, Palm Academy Charter, and suggested that the school be called Coronado Charter School.

Felix agreed. He said that he had “used the name Palm Academy because the program would be housed there.” 

The spectre of , and its ongoing expense, was also raised by Doug Metz. He insisted that this time the board receive marketing and competitive analysis estimates before it votes to approve the charter school venture. 

Felix assured him that those issues would be addressed in a feasibility study included in the application. 

Ovrom also worried that “the time line might be too ambitious.

“I’m not sure we can have this program up and running by 2012,” she said.

Felix is more confident.

“Watch me,” he said. “I’ve been working on this for two years, just watch me.”