MARLBOROUGH – A charter school wishing to admit more students is drawing concern from several public school systems, including Marlborough.
During its meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the School Committee discussed a charter amendment request being made by the Advanced Math and Science Academy (AMSA) to the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE).
AMSA wants to increase its enrollment to 1,000 students; for Marlborough, which already has 505 enrolled in the charter school, it could mean adding another 20 students.
“It’s something to keep an eye on,” said Superintendent Mary Murphy.
Committee members said they will send comments around AMSA’s request to DESE.
According to a notice from DESE sent to Marlborough Public Schools, the request may come before the board no sooner than Jan. 28, 2025, and no later than Feb. 24.
History
AMSA opened in 2004.
The state’s Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign supports and oversees the creation and sustainability of a variety of high-quality, public-school options.
Authorized by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Education Reform Act of 1993, charter schools are independent public schools that operate under five-year charters granted by the commonwealth’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Charter schools are independent public schools designed to encourage innovative educational practices. Charter schools are funded by tuition charges assessed against the school districts where the students reside. The state provides partial reimbursement to the sending districts for the tuition costs incurred.
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The charter school is allowed to control its own budget and hire (and fire) teachers and staff. In return for this freedom, a charter school must demonstrate good results within five years or risk losing its charter.
According to AMSA leaders, the proposed enrollment increase would help them obtain more funds to operate the school.
According to AMSA Executive Director Lisa Mobley, AMSA is dealing with increases in fixed costs, like utilities; it also has to pay more rent to ForeKicks, which is adjacent to AMSA and serves as the school’s athletic facility.
“Schools are facing huge challenges right now,” said Mobley. “We cannot ask the town for more money; we have to live within the budget.”
Chapter 70 and the lottery
The main concern discussed by School Committee members is whether the increase would translate into Chapter 70 funds being transferred from Marlborough Public Schools to AMSA.
Member Heidi Matthews was concerned that Chapter 70 funds “intended for students needing the most help” could be diverted.
Mobley said the state does reimburse the school district for students transferring to a charter school. The district receives 100% reimbursement for the student’s first year, 60% the second year, 40% the third year and nothing after that point.
The issues between public and charter schools begin at the state level, including how a charter school receives funding, and when, and how, students are selected.
According to Mobley, students are selected for charter schools, such as AMSA, based on a “blind” lottery. The lottery is conducted on a space-available basis, with preference given to siblings of current students, followed by students within the school’s four-town district, including Marlborough, Hudson, Clinton and Maynard in the case of AMSA.
Any student in the lottery who is not chosen is placed on a waiting list.
According to Murphy, because of the lottery charter schools such as AMSA “do not have to provide the same special education services that we have.”
Murphy added that with the current lottery system, it’s impossible for new arrivals to apply since they would not have lived in the district long enough.
Mobley said that AMSA has 24.5% of students who are English language learners (ELLs); 4.7% are ELL students requiring services; 17.3% of students come from low-income families; 6.8% are students with disabilities; 27% of students are considered “high needs.”
She would like to have the lottery changed to a “weighted” lottery, with a better chance for more students with special needs and ELLs to get into AMSA.
