The possibility of a charter school opening in fall 2017 became a frequent subject of Monday’s Valparaiso City Council meeting with no one taking a favorable view.
When asked, Mayor Jon Costas, denied that he’s talked with proponents from the proposed the South Shore Classical Academy.
“I don’t have any recollection of meeting with them,” he said.
Resident Chris Pupillo, a member of the Friends of the Valpo Schools group,
estimated that the charter school would take $3.8 million to $4.2 million away from local schools if the charter reaches it third-year goal of more than 700 students.
The issue came up after Valparaiso Community Schools Superintendent E. Ric Frataccia presented the 2016-17 district budget to the City Council, as required by law. Council members are expected to vote on the budget Oct. 10.
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“It could possibly take resources away from Valparaiso, and I don’t think that’s fair to our citizens who voted for an increase — dramatically,” Frataccia said, referring to the May 2015 school referendums which Friends of the Valpo Schools supported.
Those two property-tax funded referendums are raising $148 million for capital projects over 20 years and $4.4 million annually for the general fund for seven years.
Although a charter school wouldn’t get any of the referendum money, officials said the state would give the school more than $5,000 for each student attending instead of that money going to the district the student would normally attend.
“I’m not against charter schools,” Frataccia said. “Charter schools are supposed to go to need, and I don’t see the need.”
Grace College, which would authorize the school’s charter, plans to host a public hearing on the proposed South Shore Classical Academy at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Westchester Library Service Center, 100 W. Indiana Ave., Chesterton.
James D. Wolf Jr. is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.