Newberry Charter School Conversion Faces Pushback

Tug of warPhoto byAnna SamoylovaonUnsplash

Dozens of parents attended a meeting to voice their reservations on the planned conversion of the three public schools in Newberry to Charter schools. A vote on the plan is scheduled for April 5 through 12.

Among the objections is the primary question of capacity, the elementary school is already at 140% and there is no firm plan to construct additional space. Parents also questioned new student enrollment process, and how transportation will be arranged for students outside of the city limits.

The budget for the project was also the subject of concern, as no budget plan has been released yet.

Some parents are in favor of the project, such as one that has a special needs student who would be able to attend school closer to home.

The conversion would impact Newberry Elementary, Oak View Middle, and Newberry High School.

For those unfamiliar, a charter school is a publicly funded independent school established by teachers, parents, or community groups under the terms of a charter with a local or national authority. According to the Charter School Resource Center:

Charter schools commit to obtaining specific educational objectives in return for a charter to operate a school. Charter schools are exempt from significant state or local regulations related to operation and management but otherwise adhere to regulations of public schools — for example, charter schools cannot charge tuition or be affiliated with a religious institution.