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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRevised Legal Review of Renewal Applciation Charter School: Westlake Academy Charter School Charter Holder: Town of Westlake .AREAS REVIEWED" CORRECTIONS REQUIRED COMMENTS TS 2/6/07 Corrections 3/21/07 Admissions Policy • The school should not have a year- "A" • The revised application period (June 1 • Will be replaced with: Application round application period ( on p. 13). • The lottery process must be summarized to Jan. 31) is atypical. Typically, application periods for the next period will begin on December 1St in response to "B" on p. 13 instead of school year are held in the spring and the and end on January 31St. • Lottery will be held, as stated, in referring to another page. The "Lottery lottery is held shortly thereafter. Please February. Procedure" attachment is not explain the reason for the proposed • There was a misunderstanding on our necessary. • Some of the categories listed in "C" application period, 1 am concerned about the application part in filling out the form and we will correct it: returning students, siblings, response to on p 13 are not permissible; Charter Schools may only period and the lottery date. See above comment. sons/daughters/grandchildren of give priority to returning students,the °' • The revised response to "C" reflects that founders, shall be exempt from the lottery. 'siblings of returning students;and a no categories will be except from the • We understood that we could not small percentage of the children of the lottery; however, the revised admissions seek an amendment until the charter school's:original founders. • The lottery date in "D" on p. 13 will likely policy reflects that both returning students and their siblings are exempt. was renewed.Thus our practice during this year was to not accept need to be revised when the In addition, your original charter reflects applications from people outside the application period is revised, that siblings of enrolled students will be ISDs identified in the original charter. • The school should not require applicants given priority in admission. We realize that there was a change in to disclose their gender at the admissions stage ("F" on p. 14). • See above comments concerning dates. personnel in regards to who was • The current charter does not handling our renewal process, but adequately describe the school's • Corrected. had we had this clarified before the February 1St deadline, we would have transfer boundary. Furthermore, the submitted an amendment to include school is currently only permitted to • The response reflects that the charter Lewisville ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville serve students from Argyle, Carroll, holder will seek an amendment to ISD, Birdville ISD and North Richmond Denton, Keller, and Northwest ISDs. If the school wants to accept transfer establish a transfer boundary and will not admit students from outside of its Hills ISD. To further clarify the primary boundary for the Academy, small students from other districts, the school designated geographic boundary until portions of Carroll, Keller and must file an amendment request approval is granted. Please provide Northwest ISDs lie within the identifying the additional districts. information concerning the amendment geographical boundaries of the Town request. The charter holder states that of Westlake. Argyle and Denton had the Charter School Tracking System been identified as surrounding districts incorrectly interprets its geographic from which Westlake Academy would boundaries. In addition to stating-that acce t a lications, once all The admissions policy in Attachment 5is extremely confusing and needs tube simplified. Furthermore, the policy contains elements that are not permissible such as: • denying admission toany student regardless ofresidence • changing the admission rules absent o charter amendment • Conductingpne'odnniSSiOD interviews • giving priority foemployees' children See attached sample policy. The "Student App|kcafion^ in Attachment b requires information that should not be required atfhe admissions stage (e.g.. gender, place Cf birth, primary language, and whether the applicant was previously netoined). The school needs to have onadmissions application that is separate from the enrollment packet. The admissions application should only require basic information such aa name, address, date ofbirth, parent contact information, etc. � f he geographic boundary for the school will be the boundaries of the Town of Westlake, the original charter also reflects that the |S[}o within such area are Argyle, Carroll, Denton, Keller, and Northwest. |f other iSDo are also within the boundaries of the Town nfWestlake, please identify those districts. The revised policy io much improved; however, | have concerns about the following: • the application period • the lottery date • the discrepancy regarding whether returning students and siblings are exempt from the lottery • why the application period is June 1 -Jon. 31 and the lottery is held in Feb.when returning students have until K4OrCh to return the "Notice of Intent tO Return" form. Why would the lottery be held when you haven't determined hVvv many available spaces exist? • The language concerning the exclusion of students who have been expelled or awaiting expulsion "from any educational inntitution^ is too broad. You may deny admission fO students with documented histories OY8criminal offense, juvenile court adjudication, or discipline problems under TEC Chapter 37, Subchapter A. The revised admissions application was not attached along with the rest ofthe fax, Please id students within the geographical boundaries [f the Town ofWestlake were admitted,Thus Argyle, Denton and parts of Carroll, Keller and Northwest have always been within our transfer boundaries. ° Application period: December 1It- January 31s' " Lottery date: mid-February " Returning students will have tofile "Notice of Intent fo Return" by January 51It. " Exclusion of students who have been expelled or awaiting expulsion will be revised to read: with documented histories o/ocriminal offense,juvenile court adjudication, or discipline problems under TEC Chapter 37, SubohopherA. Copy attached.