MT. JEWETT - The proposed creation of a Mt. Jewett Charter School appears to have overwhelming community support.

The Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition held a community meeting Tuesday at the Mt. Jewett Fire Hall. Among the speakers are, left to right: Dave Craig, superintendent and principal of the Tidioute Charter School; Tom Pendleton, an Erie attorney who represents the Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition and other Charter Schools; and Skye Ogden, a member of the Coalition who narrated a "power point" slide show to explain the Charter School concept. Photo by Ted Lutz.

Work on the Charter School concept began in earnest after the school board voted in December to close the Mt. Jewett Elementary School at the end of the current school year. The closing is part of a proposed school consolidation plan.

About 40 students at the Mt. Jewett school are expected to be transferred to the Chestnut Street Elementary School in Kane for the 2007-08 school year.

Chuck Paar, a member of the coalition, confidently predicted that the school board's decision to close the Mt. Jewett school someday will be viewed as "one of the best things that ever happened" because it served as the "catalyst" for the creation of a Charter School.

He believes the proposed Charter School will provide "a superior educational opportunity" for children in Mt. Jewett. He said the Charter School will "raise the bar" for education in Mt. Jewett.

Guest speakers at the forum included Dave Craig, who is the principal and superintendent of the Tidioute Charter School, and Tom Pendleton, an Erie attorney who represents the Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition and other Charter Schools.

Craig said the Tidioute Charter School was formed when the Warren County School District shifted Tidioute High School students to Youngsville. He said the Tidioute Charter School now has 275 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and has "a waiting list" of students from communities outside Tidioute.

Craig appealed to the Mt. Jewett community to support the Coalition's efforts to form a Charter School. He said the Tidioute Charter School "happened" because "our community helped us make it happen."

"You can have a school here," Craig said as the crowd applauded.

According to Craig, the Coalition will need to file an application for a Charter School with the Kane School District. The school district can suggest modifications in the application, Craig said. If the school board eventually rejects the application, the Coalition can file an appeal with a state board, Craig said.

Pendleton said the Kane School Board will have "an obligation" to review the application for a Charter School in Mt. Jewett. He called for the school board to undertake the review "fairly" and "objectively."

"I see a Charter School here," the attorney told the crowd. "You're putting your best foot forward. That's really important."

Skye Ogden, a member of the Coalition, narrated a "power point" slide show presentation, which outlined several pieces of information about a Charter School for Mt. Jewett.

Some of the points made during Tuesday's forum:

?A Charter School in Mt. Jewett would eliminate what Ogden termed "long bus rides" for young children. She said kindergarten children from Mt. Jewett are picked up as early as 6:50 a.m. and don't return home until 3:30 p.m. "or later."

?A Charter School in Mt. Jewett would retain smaller class sizes. The Coalition is planning to cap class size at 20 for the Charter School for kindergarten through fifth grade.

This class size is expected to more than accommodate all Mt. Jewett children.

 If all 20 spots in a class are not taken by Mt. Jewett children, students from outside Mt. Jewett will be invited to enroll. This means elementary-age children in Hamlin Township who now attend school in Smethport possibly could seek admission to the Mt. Jewett Charter School.

Students in other communities also could seek spots in the Mt. Jewett Charter School.

?The proposed Mt. Jewett Charter School will hire only state-certified teachers.

?Ogden said Mt. Jewett residents will see their property values "decrease" without an elementary school. She said a Charter School will "retain" property values.

?There is no tuition to attend a Charter School. The school districts will pay fees to the Charter School based on the number of students from within that district.

?The Coalition already has asked the Kane School Board to permission to use the vacated Mt. Jewett Elementary School as the site for the its proposed Charter School.

However, the Coalition is considering other sites in case the school board rejects this request.

Jeff Swanson, another Coalition member, said the Kane School Board is "not going to stop us in our endeavor to have a Charter School." He said the "heart of our town is our school."

?The Coalition will seek community input for its curriculum. Ogden said the state Department of Education will hold the Charter School "accountable" for meeting educational targets.

She said "we must meet them to stay in business."

?There are 117 Charter Schools in Pennsylvania. There are more than 4,000 Charter Schools in the U.S.

?Pendleton said the state Department of Education has grants for groups planning Charter Schools.

?The Coalition plans to file its application with the school board no later than Nov. 15. The Coalition is circulating petitions and is seeking letters of support to back its applications.

"Help us make it happen," Ogden asked the crowd.