Despite Statewide Restrictions, Charter School Going Strong

During a hostile time for charter schools in California, the was recently renewed for five years, and its director describes a “wonderful” relationship with the .

“I always say the No. 1 reason (for the school’s success) is because of the relationships,” said the school's director, Rachael Bishop. “The relationship with our district has just been phenomenal. Novato has always just been a real partner.”

In May, the school district unanimously voted to renew the Novato Charter School’s charter for another five years. It’s the school’s third renewal, and it comes at a point when charter schools in California are facing funding cuts and greater restrictions.

According to an Aug. 19 story in the Sacramento Bee, California lost $11.5 million of its federal funding for new charter schools this year, and could lose more. The U.S. Department of Education warned that California didn’t meet the requirements of the Charter Schools Program, which funds two- and three-year charter school grants.

The Charter Schools Program was supposed to pay the state about $50 million a year over several years, which would have come out to $51.6 million this year, but will now only fund $40.1 million for 2011-12. The state also received $9.2 million that had been deferred from last year’s grant.

Adding to the troubles facing California's charter schools, a bill passed in the State Assembly in May makes it harder for new charter schools to start. AB401 puts a cap on the number of authorized charter schools in California at 1,450 by 2017.

Bishop said Novato Charter School is in a strong position as it moves into the future, although, like all charter schools, it has to be aware of the larger situation.

“We’re always paying attention,” she said. “I wouldn’t say we’re unaffected. Every time you turn around, someone’s cutting funding. So we’re used to that.”

The school was aware there would be decreased funding last spring, she said, and planned its programs accordingly. Its money comes from state block grants and from its own fundraising group, the Novato Charter School Foundation.

A charter school is a public school operated independently of the local school board, often with a curriculum and educational philosophy different from the other schools in the system. They receive some public money but are not subject to some of the same rules and regulations as other schools. In exchange for this freedom, they’re accountable for producing certain results, which are laid out in their charters.

According to the school website, the Novato Charter School uses “Waldorf-inspired methods integrated with current best educational practices and state standards.”

Bishop said the appeal of charter schools comes from their ability to combine different teaching methods in order to create the best possible learning environment for their students.

“We have that freedom to do that and to create our program," Bishop said, "and the teachers have a lot more say in that curriculum.”

Leslie Benjamin, spokeswoman for the Novato Unified School District, said the district supports the charter school’s programs.

“We recognize that parents want a choice,” Benjamin said. “Some parents want to send their children to a charter school, and NUSD is proud to be able to offer that choice.”