Students from closed charter school find new place to learn

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Friday, March 4, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.

After two months in limbo, former students of a now defunct online charter high school have found a safe haven that will give them academic credit for work done after the school was forced to close.

Citing a myriad of problems, including insufficient record-keeping and instructional methods, the Clark County School Board voted in November to revoke the charter of Clark County Team Academy, an online program.

The school's 300 students had several options, including transferring to one of the district's comprehensive high schools or enrolling in another charter school.

But about 30 of the students opted to follow their teacher, Ted Smith, to Keystone Academy, a charter school serving rural Sandy Valley.

Keystone's administrator, Sally Armstrong, said she submitted a request to the state education department to enroll the students but was turned down because the school's charter does not include a provision for distance education.

"We would have loved to take the kids," Armstrong said.

Craig Butz, director of Odyssey Charter High School, which has about 700 students enrolled in the online program, said 18 former Clark County Team Academy students have signed on with his program. Butz said he was told by several parents that they had believed the paperwork, supplied to them by Smith, had been completed and their children were already enrolled in Keystone. In fact, Butz said, the students were not officially enrolled anywhere.

After discussions with state Superintendent Keith Rheault, Odyssey officials determined that the 18 students could transfer their online work and receive academic credit. That's especially important for seven of those students who are seniors, Butz said.

"Fortunately it looks like they're on track now to graduate on time in June," Butz said.

Smith could not be immediately reached for comment.

The confusion that ensued following Clark County Team Academy's closure was predicted by district officials as well as several charter school administrators, including Butz. District officials had urged the charter school not to open in August, noting that a forced closure by the School Board was imminent. But the school's administrators "decided to roll the dice," Butz said.

"They (Clark County Team Academy's operators) felt the district wouldn't take such a bold step as to close them mid-year," Butz said. "I told them, 'If they don't close you, it's a message to charter schools that you don't have to operate in compliance with the law. It's unfortunate to now have to say, 'I told you so."

Butz said the problems experienced by Clark County Team Academy's students are a black mark for all charter schools.

"When you're dealing with students you shouldn't take steps that put their education at risk," Butz said. "We're pleased we could be a safety net for 18 of the students, but what has happened to the rest of them? How many of them got so fed up that they've decided to quit school altogether?"

As required by state statute, Clark County is currently conducting an audit of Clark County Team Academy's operations including determining where all of the program's students have wound up, district officials said.