BOARD OKS POLICY SHIFT PATH CLEARED FOR ONLINE CHARTER.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO

Staff Writer

LANCASTER -- A divided Antelope Valley Union High School District board has approved changes to its charter-school policy that teachers union officials said was done to fast-track a proposed online charter campus.

The charter school, which likely would allow students to stay at home and take classes via computer, wants to start operation next school year, but missed the November deadline to submit a charter petition, trustees said.

The policy was changed in a 3-2 vote Wednesday, with trustees Ira Simonds and Donita Winn dissenting, to allow the board under "special circumstances" to consider late applications.

"This provides the district with the latitude to deal with consideration of charters and handling of applications," board President Tom Pigott said. "They (the online school) would have gone to another district in L.A. County, and we would have simply lost those students to that district."

Winn said the old policy served as a model for other districts and did not need to be changed.

"I like that waiting period. It seemed to weed out the serious petitioners and gave petitioners time to get the many zillion things in order," Winn said. "Other districts have called us to use our policy. It works for us as is."

Trustees said the University of Phoenix is proposing the charter school, and staff members are reviewing it.

Teachers union President Gene Smith was critical of the policy change.

"We feel the regulation is being changed for this school to come in without following the guidelines that were in place that would have required them to wait another year," said Smith, president of the Antelope Valley Teachers Association. "I feel it's being put on the fast track."

With the district already offering some courses online, Smith said the district should establish its own online charter school rather than let somebody else do it. "Our concern is we could do a better job and keep funds in the district. There would be a better opportunity for our counselors to talk with students to let them know of the problems and pitfalls of an online school," Smith said.

"I'm also concerned that people who would be considered at-risk youth would opt to take this kind of thing instead of staying in school, which would be the opposite of what the community and law enforcement want."

Trustee Al Beattie said the online charter school can sign up students from any adjoining county.

"This charter will get approved someplace and will take our students," Beattie said. "If a charter is going to occur and it's going to take my students from my district, then I want to have control over it. I don't want someone in Riverside or Kern County or Gorman having that supervision."

Beattie proposed a review of the charter policy to see whether revisions were needed to conform with changes in state charter rules and because he was aware of the online school proposal.

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