After a prolonged struggle with the Española School District over the last 18 months, Cariños De Los Niños Charter School’s charter has been renewed for the next three years, by the state’s Public Education Commission.
The Commission heard comments from school officials during their meeting in Santa Fe on Dec. 10, after which they voted unanimously to approve the troubled school’s charter with the condition the school leadership sit down with the Charter Schools Division to formulate a corrective plan addressing areas of concern, to be submitted for approval at a later date.
Although the Charter School was seeking approval for five years with direct oversight by the Charter School Division, the Commissioners said they were concerned the Charter School’s attendance declined by 50 percent over the last few years, but acknowledged the drop may be attributed to the school’s move to their present location in Cordova, approximately 20 miles from Española.
The commissioners said the school also failed to meet academic standards, despite showing a slight upward trend.
They said the school’s academic improvement did not appear to be substantial. The Commission reviewed Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College Careers (P.A.R.C.C.) scores and found the school is performing lower than both the state and Española District schools, both in math and English language arts.
The Charter School also showed a three-year average grade of a D, only a slight improvement from their F grade in academic year 2011-12.
According to their renewal application, school officials wrote, “As a dual language school, the goal is to maintain a student’s home language while learning English for non-English speakers. Research shows it takes five to seven years to reach proficiency.”
At the 40-day enrollment mark, Oct. 6, the school reported 110 students for grades kindergarten through eighth, for the 2015-16 academic school year, which exceeded the 106 the school had projected.
Despite carry-over funds from the last fiscal year, commissioners also said the school’s financial performance raised concerns.
A delegation of Cariños school representatives, faculty and supporters attended the meeting, including Chancellor Vernon Jaramillo, Instructional Coach/Administrator Bernice Life, Governing Board President Juanita Cata, Board Member Myrna Romero and Business Manager Michael Vigil.
Jaramillo said the Española School District failed to provide oversight to Cariños with zero site visits to the dual-language school during the past few years, but still managed to provide instruction to students, despite a period of upheaval and uncertainty.
He said the school’s students showed significant growth in math and language arts. Jaramillo said despite the high mobility, students continue to demonstrate growth and school staff continues to work on professional development.
Life said despite the lack of a stable facility last year, after the Charter School was evicted, math assessment testing had to continue for all students enrolled. According to the progress report provided to the Commission, the percentage of proficient and advanced students has increased in math each year from 15 percent in 2012, to 17 percent in 2013 to 19 percent in 2014.
Life said students and staff had to travel to El Misión y Convento on the Plaza de Española, then to El Rito Elementary School, until they were finally given a place in Cordova at the former Mountain View Elementary School site.
“Our teachers work very hard every single day,” Life said. “We serve a very at-risk population with students who are usually two grade levels behind.”
Jaramillo said the school’s old site in Española had a capacity close to 500 students, but their current facility is equipped to hold a maximum of 160 students.
“We got about 130 the first few days of school, but it is too far for them to travel from Española,” he said.
Jaramillo said the school is looking at properties they might be able to lease.
He said even though school officials have been happy at their present location in Cordova, they know there is a need for the Charter School in the Española Valley, since they are the only dual-language school in the area.
At a Governance Board meeting on Nov. 18, the Charter School approved an agreement with an Albuquerque-based property adviser and broker, to help the school find a permanent site in Española, in an effort to increase the school’s declining enrollment and to provide more accessibility to the community they want to serve.
Commision
deliberations
Commissioner Patricia Gipson said she tended to support a shorter-term charter for Cariños because she had concerns about the school’s academic performance. She said she was also concerned about the school’s ability to find a permanent facility.
Gipson said she was concerned that three years from now, the problem would be perpetuated, since at their present facility, Cariños only has room for 40 more students.
“They can’t grow their enrollment and they are not going to be able to grow since they are too far away,” the commissioner said.
Jaramillo said he discussed the possibility of leasing portable school buildings with the state’s Public Schools Facilities Authority, as a temporary solution until the school finds a permanent site in Española.
“I know portables are the easy answer,” Gipson said, “But it’s not the right answer.”
Commissioner Jeff Carr said he also favored the short-term charter renewal because he thought academic results might be different for the school, given state’s support.
“I know Española has issues,” Carr said. “I know we’re not taking care of this (student) population like we should. This particular group of students needs a place where they are safe and feel cared for and nurtured.”
Carr said he had serious reservations about the school since their scores were not any better than Española’s, but he was willing to go along with the Commission’s decision to grant the conditional charter renewal.
Commissioner Karyl Ann Armbruster said she was concerned, given the 9-1 student-to-teacher ratio at the school. Armbruster said Cariños should be showing significant academic growth in their English Language Learner and overall population, but at present, students are doing about the same as students in the Española District Schools, which have a higher teacher-to-student ratio.
Commission Chair Carolyn Shearman said she agreed with the Commission’s recommendation for a short charter renewal, with the core provision of a corrective plan.
“I want to give you a chance, but I think it’s the best we can do,” she said.
Española School District Superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez said she was aware of the past conflicts between the Charter School and the District, but she has a good working relationship with Jaramillo and they are both working together to settle the issues between Cariños and the District.