The building that housed Mt. Jewett Elementary School before it closed last Spring is currently being used for storage by the Kane Area School District. Mt. Jewett businessmen have offered to provide the district with alternate storage space if the Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition is allowed access to the building. File photo by Ted Lutz.

Mt. Jewett mayor Tom Geer used a new tactic Thursday to try and give the Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition access to the Mt. Jewett Elementary school building.

Speaking at the regular monthly meeting of the Kane Area School Board, Geer, who was speaking on behalf of Mt. Jewett businessmen Brian Sees and Ted Howard, told the board he had a plan that would satisfy both the Charter Coalition and the school board.

"Many people have expressed their disagreement with the school board's decision to use [the Mt. Jewett school building] as a warehouse," Geer said. "It is thought this is a means to block the attempt by the Charter Coalition to use the existing structure for their intended Charter School. However, I do not believe that anyone has proposed a viable alternative to this plan. I am here this evening to offer such an alternative."

Geer then told the board Sees and Howard would provide Kane Area School District with warehouse and storage space equal to or greater in size than the Mt. Jewett school building in exchange for Charter Coalition access to the school building. In addition, he said that the Boy Scouts of Troop 410, of which he is the Scoutmaster, would provide the manual labor for moving the items now stored in the school building to the proposed new storage areas at no cost to help fulfill their required community service hours.

"We believe this is a fair and equitable offer showing good faith on the part of the residents of Mt. Jewett to work with the school board to resolve any conflict or obstacle that may hinder the effort to restore elementary education in the borough of Mt. Jewett," Geer said.

Though the school board did not discuss or act on Geer's offer, board president Larry Lamping thanked him.

Two other members of the Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition also spoke at Thursday's meeting. Skye Ognen informed the board that the coalition would soon be submitting its application for a charter school grant to the board.

"I am here tonight to inform you that we are diligently working on our charter applications and we are nearing the end," she told the board. "Within a few weeks we will be submitting our application for your review and approval."

She also reiterated that the reason the coalition was formed was to benefit the children and that the coalition hopes it can work closely with the board to ensure the charter school is a success.

Next, Tony Desio spoke about possible financial benefits the district could see if the charter school opens. According to Desio, Pennsylvania State school code mandates that, if a student enrolls in a charter school, that student's home district retains 25 percent of the state funding set aside for that student. In addition, the district is eligible to receive additional temporary assistance equal to 30 percent of that amount.

This adds up to a big sum of money, Desio said.

"... the district stands to receive in the neighborhood of 3/4 of $1 million, while providing no services," he said. "I'd consider that a win for the district."

Desio also said that the students enrolled in the charter school would still count in the average daily attendance figures for the district, therefore not affecting other state funding.

While the deadline for submitting a charter application is Nov. 15, Ognen said the Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition hopes to have its application completed and submitted before that deadline.