The Free Press, Mankato, MN

Local News

March 28, 2009

Hilltop as charter school?

By Brian Ojanpa

HENDERSON — A push for innovative budgeting in tight-money times has prompted talk of converting a Henderson elementary school to a charter school.

“We’re about 15 percent on the way to really getting this going,” Le Sueur-Henderson Schools Supt. Dave Johnson said of a plan for Hilltop Elementary to become a charter facility.

Johnson said the move would save the district about $90,000 a year.

Charter schools are public schools funded with public money and operated by parents, educators and/or community leaders.

Its curriculum is determined by a charter school board of directors and is required to meet the same graduation standards as other schools.

Johnson said savings would come via less per-pupil district spending and the availability of federal grant money for charter schools.

Hilltop has 90 students. Its five teachers voted unanimously to pursue the charter route after visiting other area charter schools.

“The teachers thought that it’s a great way for them to try new things and be their own leaders. They’re all excited about the new things they can try,” said Mary Menne of EdVisions, a nonprofit national organization with offices in Henderson.

EdVisions is an educational development organization that helps entities form charter schools or convert existing schools to charter operations.

A recent community meeting on the plan garnered favorable support, Menne said.

Johnson said a conversion to charter would allow staff to combine traditional curriculum basics with the autonomy to venture beyond it.

The Le Sueur-Henderson School Board would ultimately decide whether to go ahead with the conversion.

If it were to happen, Le Sueur-Henderson would become the second school district in the state to have a collaboration of traditional and “choice” schools. Nerstrand, the first community to do so, converted one of its schools several years ago.

Hilltop also would become the second charter school in Henderson. Minnesota New Country School began operations there 16 years ago.

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