The McCurdy Charter School Governance Board voted unanimously Feb. 19 to enter into negotiations with the state Public Education Department and its charter school division to renew the school’s performance contract.
The school applied for its charter in July 2011 and was approved in September 2011. It would be up for renewal in 2017, Department public information officer Larry Behrens said.
Board members could not agree when the charter is due for renewal, but entering into an early and annual performance agreement would circumvent any surprise at the five-year mark, Board President Deborah Anderson said.
Charter schools around the state are applying for early performance contracts because many aren’t meeting their own requirements, according to past Public Education Commission meeting minutes. The Department website lists 13 charter schools that applied for renewal in 2013.
Anderson said to enter negotiations with the state charter school division, the application would have to be submitted by June.
McCurdy Charter School Director Janette Archuleta said the document is long and will require a lot of her time.
While the vote was unanimous, Board member Beaulah Sandoval was not immediately keen. The charter school’s finances were a higher priority.
“Why should we do this now instead of waiting until we’re through this financial crisis?” Sandoval asked.
Board Vice Chair Crystal Espinoza said renegotiating the contract early would give the charter school more control.
“This will give us a leg up on the process,” she said. “I think we should do this.”
The Board peppered Anderson with questions about the process, timeline and work involved in preparing the new performance contract. Anderson said it wouldn’t be easy but it was better to do it now for several reasons.
“Our liaison to the Public Education Commission will be retiring in June and she’s been a big help through the whole charter process,” Anderson said. “We also don’t want to do this on the heels of accreditation next year.”
Anderson asked for a motion to enter negotiations for a new performance contract and the Board was silent. Finally, recording secretary Alison Watt said she had it and read the motion to the Board.
Espinoza said she so moved and following a second, the Board approved it unanimously.
Anderson had two reasons to attend the Commission’s meeting Feb. 28. She’ll answer questions regarding McCurdy’s continued financial problems and ask the Commission to agree to renegotiate the school’s charter. The Commission meets monthly in the Jerry Apodaca Building in Santa Fe.