The Elkhart School Board will consider an agreement Tuesday to transfer the former Osolo Elementary School to Premier Arts Academy for a dollar.
The proposed Innovation Network Charter School Agreement would give Premier Arts Academy total control over the school, but its standardized test scores would be included in Elkhart Community Schools’ assessment. The district would also keep one percent of state tuition support, estimated at about $31,500 a year. This sort of agreement is seen as a much faster process than giving any charter school an opportunity to express interest in buying or leasing the building for a dollar, the other option provided by Indiana law.
Transferring the building sooner would save the district the cost of maintenance, according to attorney Gregg Hixenbaugh. “The estimated liability during the process of the dollar transfer would be $26,250 to $43,750,” Hixenbaugh told board members during a work session Friday.
Premiere Arts Academy parents and representatives spoke in favor of the agreement, saying it would put an empty building back into use and give families options. School founder Ashley Molyneaux said children benefit when charter schools and traditional public schools work together.
"Years from now, I don’t think anyone will remember the details of the agreement," Molyneaux told board members. "They’ll remember whether we chose to put an empty school back to work serving children and whether we found a way for two public education partners to strengthen one another."
A smaller number of people voiced opposition, saying it would be a bad deal for the district. Elkhart High School Linda Fine said the vision put forth by proponents seemed to be contradicted by the agreement itself.
"I’m getting really frustrated," Fine said. "It specifically states in this agreement that this is a contract, not a partnership . . . but a lot of people are saying it’s a partnership. I’m not really sure that it is."
While Elkhart Community Schools wouldn’t be required to provide services like transportation for charter school students, some still worried about what that might cost.
The proposed agreement was also met with some frustration from school board members. Administrators couldn’t immediately answer their questions about how the change would impact the district’s accountability score or how much debt was still owed on the Osolo building.
Board member Douglas Weaver directed his strongest criticism toward state lawmakers. He said the state’s tax reform and restrictions on selling unused school buildings have “hamstrung” the district.
"You’ve got a valuable asset that you have to give away for a dollar, basically," Weaver said. "And then, somebody’s going to come and say, ‘O.K. Well, yeah, you’re bleeding, but I guess we’ll go cut your throat at the same time.’"
Elkhart Community Schools holds the broadcast license for WVPE.
