Extended school stays cost Iowans

Fifty Storm Lake teenagers who state officials say should have graduated will be allowed to stay in school to take college credit at taxpayer expense.

Storm Lake, Ia. - Fifty Storm Lake teenagers who state officials say should have graduated will be allowed to stay in high school to take college credit at taxpayer expense.

The discrepancy could cost Iowa taxpayers up to $290,000 this year, officials say.

A charter school run by the Storm Lake school district lets students stay in high school beyond four years to load up on college credit under a state-approved agreement.

The school targets low-income students and those learning English as a second language.

Some "super seniors" have stayed in the program for two or three years, when state officials say they should have been out after one year.

The problem surfaced in July when the district's charter came up for renewal for the first time since it was approved in 2005.

State officials agreed to let 50 students go back for a second "super senior" year this fall while district leaders sort out the problem. The charter school's overall enrollment is 80.

The district receives about $5,800 in state school aid for each student.

"We realized what had happened, and we didn't want to victimize students," said Del Hoover, who oversees charter schools for the Iowa Department of Education.

"I don't think it was anything the district did that was deliberate."



Turnover of officials, vague wording cited

Officials blame the oversight on administrator turnover in the school district and at the education department since 2005. The district's application also was vague about the length of time students can stay in the program.

Still, education department officials collected annual reports from the charter school and visited the campus at least once since 2005.

"Can we get better with the process? Yes we can," Hoover said.

Storm Lake school officials have a year to renew the charter.

"We, of course, are promoting to at least keep the option for a fifth or sixth year because of the background of those students," said Superintendent Paul Tedesco, who took the district's top job after plans for the charter school were drawn up.

Critics say the discrepancy symbolizes Iowa's failure to make the most of charter schools.

Charter schools receive taxpayer money but are free of many rules that bind their traditional counterparts. Most of Iowa's eight charter schools resemble their traditional counterparts, despite their license to break the mold.

The state Board of Education "needs to take a bigger role in defining what is a charter school and make sure the openings we have are filled by the best charter applications and not simply, 'If you got in, you're in forever,' " said Max Phillips, a state education board member from Woodward. "My gut feeling is we haven't gotten maybe what we wanted."

District says program aids language-learners

Storm Lake's "super senior" concept is unique among Iowa charter schools, Hoover said.

Graduating seniors put off getting their diplomas to take classes through a partnership with Iowa Central Community College. Charter school officials provide transportation and track the progress of students.

Tedesco said the extra years are important because some students lack the language skills to take advantage of college credit in four years.

"By then, they've missed the chances that other kids have taken," he said.

The larger goals include boosting the Storm Lake district's standardized test scores and increasing chances that poor and immigrant students will get a college education.

About 60 percent of the district's 2,000 students come from homes where English is not the primary language, the most of any in Iowa.

Math and science test scores have inched up for Hispanic students, low-income students and students who are learning English as a second language since the charter school opened, according to the district's annual charter school report.