Designation of J. Frank White Academy as a charter school is now officially ‘dead in the water.’ However, those pushing for the status may reapply at any time. In fact, they have until April to submit another application that could lead to the new designation beginning in the 2018-19 school year.
For the last few months, Lincoln Memorial University, on behalf of the Academy, and the Claiborne County School Board have been doing battle over this issue.
Chief among the board concerns is the apparent lack of qualification of the Academy under Tennessee Codes Annotated (T.C.A.) §49-13-106 (c)(1), which states an existing private school may not convert to public charter school status.
A lack of transportation for all prospective students and unsubstantiated documentation, proving the charter school founding team followed all checklist directives, were other concerns cited by the school board.
It appears the prime concern for the school district is the loss of revenues. Connie Holdway, director of schools, said during a previous board meeting that the financial “slam” to the county would be “astronomical.”
Former board member Sam Owens, who is the current county finance officer, said it would create a $5 million impact to the school system.
The initial application was denied by the school board in June, citing three ‘legal’ reasons for doing so. The proximity of H. Y. Livesay, one of three state-designated rewards schools, topped the list.
There has never been a county school designated as a priority, or one earmarked for special attention due to its low scores. County students have consistently scored higher in grades three through eight reading and math assessments than bordering Tennessee counties in recent years. This fact establishes a strong academic foundation with expectations of an ‘upward trajectory’ — the second and third reasons for denying the charter school application.
Jody Goins, LMU special assistant for academic affairs, sent a brief email on Aug. 22 to Holdway.
The email, consisting of one sentence, states that LMU has “opted not to appeal” to the Tennessee Board of Education.
“I am happy they have honored the school board decision,” said Holdway, of the matter.
It looks as though the county will be searching for a new director of schools. Holdway announced her retirement recently, effective June 30 of next year.
During a recent interview, Holdway said she expected the search to ramp up sometime in January. However, it could be as early as October, she said, when the county begins to “knock around” possible leads for prospective candidates.
Reach Jan Runions at 423-254-5588 or on Twitter @scribeCP.