Reopening of Richey as a charter school could be a very good thing

by David Safier

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a knee-jerk charter school detractor. People getting government funding to start independent schools with independent ideas and strategies is an excellent idea. True, the charter school concept has been abused due to lax regulation and privatization, but when it works, it can be a good thing.

So I'm going to put my skepticism in my back pocket and talk about how converting Richey school from a traditional TUSD school to a TUSD charter could be a real plus.

Because Richey had only 90 students, TUSD chose it as one of the schools it closed in 2010. The cost of building upkeep, hiring administrators and hiring teachers who may not teach full classrooms was prohibitive. If schools have to close, it made sense for Richey to be on the list. The heartbreaker was, most students were members of the Pascua Yaqui tribe, which meant closing the school was harmful to that community.

Fast forward to 2012. The tribe has leased part of the building "for a community center for health, wellness, adult education and recreational functions." And starting next year, the building will also house a charter school.

Think of the advantages for the new charter over the school that was closed. First, the school only has to financially support part of the building, which saves money. Second, Pascua Yaqui students will be in a multi-purpose facility which deals with health issues and brings in the community for adult ed and recreation, all of which the school can use to benefit its students. Third, though the school is chartered by TUSD, it's a separate entity, so it qualifies for the state's small school funds. According to the Star article, that will bring in more than $1,000 extra per child in state funding, which will give the school money for smaller class sizes, more supplies and computers, etc. (And the tribe can kick in some money for the school too, so Richey Charter could find itself in far better financial condition than other TUSD schools.) Fourth, if this is like other charter schools, it will have an independent Board made up of community members, which means more local input. Fifth, since charters are reasonably independent, even though TUSD is the chartering organization, the school can tailor its curriculum toward the needs of its student population.

Vail School District, one of the best in the state, has two (I believe) charter schools it runs, which are very successful. A few other districts around the state also have their own charters. TUSD will join the group, and the students, we can hope, will reap the benefits.

There's no telling how well the school will work, but it's got a lot going for it. I'm rooting for it, big time.