HARPSWELL

Harpswell Coastal Academy is one of five groups that have submitted proposals to the Maine Charter School Commission, with the intention of opening a new charter school here by next autumn.

The Maine School Management Association made the applications announcement Thursday.

John Alnieri made the application for Harpswell Coastal Academy’s name. Attempts to contact Alnieri on Thursday were unsuccessful.

According to the website, harpswellcharterschool.wordpress.com, the “ideal size” for Harpswell Coastal Academy would be 280 students — a maximum of 40 sixth- and 40 ninth-graders for each of the first three years, and then another 40 sixth-graders in year four.

By statute, the commission must rule on the five new applications by Feb. 1.

Maine public charter schools are open to any student in the state. Transportation to the school is limited by a “catchment area” defined in the charter legislation. In the case of Harpswell Coastal, that area would likely include any School Administrative District 75 towns and those that border SAD 75, based in Topsham.

Currently, most Harpswell students attend Mt. Ararat Middle School or Mt. Ararat High School, both in Topsham.

Joanne Rogers, chairwoman of the SAD 75 Board of Directors, said Thursday the board has been aware of the Harpswell charter school concept for some time, but she declined Thursday to issue an opinion on the matter.

“The board has not discussed it specifically,” Rogers said. “They have every right to apply.”

The Maine Charter School Commission also received applications Wednesday from Heartwood Charter School in Kennebunk and Queen City Academy Charter School in Bangor, as well as from two virtual schools called Maine Connections Academy and Maine Virtual Academy.

Stephen Bowen, commissioner of the Department of Education, alluded to the importance of school choice in a statement released Wednesday.

“Public charter schools are an important part of the growing menu of public school choices for Maine students,” he said. “Maine is on a clear path to providing more options to more students.”

“This is not an indictment of the schools we currently have,” Bowen continued. “It reflects a growing understanding among Mainers that no one school can be all things to all students. And that it is our responsibility to help families find the right educational environment for their children.”

Bowen referred to a statement by Gov. Paul LePage, that “the wealthy have always had choices; it is our responsibility to ensure that choosing the best choice is not solely the privilege of the privileged.”

Opponents claim charter schools divert taxpayer revenues from traditional public schools.

Maine’s first two charter schools opened just a month ago in Fairfield and in Cornville. Two other charter schools, in Portland and Gray, have received conditional approval to open next fall.

According to state law, the charter school commission can authorize up to 10 public charter schools statewide over the coming decade.

Maine School Management is a statewide, non-profit federation of local school boards and superintendents that serves as an advocate for the interests of the state’s public school students and school units.

¦ CHARTER SCHOOLS are funded with state dollars but operate independently of local school boards, offering an alternative school choice for students. Maine’s public charter schools receive funding based on the number of students they enroll. For each student attending a charter school, the student’s home school administrative unit transfers a per-pupil allocation to the charter school. The home school unit is able to reserve up to 1 percent of the per-pupil amount to cover administrative costs.

SOURCE: WWW.MAINE.GOV/EDUCATION/CHARTERSCHOOLS

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