School Choice Debates Rage On

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CROYDON — A recent special school board meeting called to vote on including the Academy of Thought and Industry onto the district’s approved schools list was marred by debate and concerns of liability.

Recently, a Croydon family asked that their child who will be entering ninth grade in this upcoming school year be accepted to go to school at ATI. The hope for the child is that they receive a “Montessori-style” education rather than a traditional public-school education. While ATI was not previously on the district’s list of schools, the school board retains the legal right to add schools they believe fit the criteria for an adequate education. ATI would also be required to submit an application to the New Hampshire Department of Education and be approved to be considered an adequate school. To be approved, ATI would be required to meet a curriculum laid out in a NH RSA that defines what an adequate education entail.

“I did look at their entire course offering and tried to map it to (required curriculum) and it’s pretty clear to me they do provide required courses in all those areas. There have been some concerns that have been raised along the way whether or not we should approve these schools,” said school board member Aaron McKeon.

As part of Croydon’s tuitioning and school choice program, a certain amount of funds are allotted to each student within the school district to go to the approved school of their choice. The cost of tuition for public, or private, education presently goes up to $18,000 yearly. The proposed tuition for the Croydon resident to attend ATI would be $15,000 and would be paid for, as all other students are, by the taxpayers.

Residents at the special school board meeting raised concerns as to what would happen if the DOE were to not approve the school, and ultimately it would fall on the school district as it is their responsibility to ensure children receive adequate education. Should this occur, the school district would be at risk of not receiving state adequacy funds which go toward tuition.

At the meeting, school board Chairman Jodi Underwood stated that should the state not send the adequate funding, or legal action be taken against the school district, that she would personally pay the difference in funds or attempt to raise the money for the student.

“I’m happy that the student and their family are able to utilize the school choice program that Croydon has implemented to attend a school that they think will serve them all well. Provided that they attain state approval and provide a worthwhile education to that student I don’t see any future issues with their choice. I do wish that the board was able to look into the curriculum and what courses were actually teaching a bit more before making a final decision. From the standpoint of the board member who voted no, I understand wanting to exercise a bit of caution and confirm that there would be no liability to the school or the town for any shortcomings on ATI’s part,” Croydon resident Edward Spiker, wrote to the Eagle Times via email.

Superintendent Frank Perrotti warned that the school board may be “putting the cart before the horse” and suggested that ATI be approved by the state before the school board approved it for their tuitioning program. These thoughts were echoed by members of the audience, to which the school board asserted they believe there is a low chance of the school not being approved, and that the board was within its rights to make a vote.

The school board did pass the vote with a motion to approve ATI in their school choice list, with stipulations that must be met by the school. Included in those are a submitted application to the Department of Education no later than September 30,2022. Also, should ATI not be approved by the state, then the school district’s contract with ATI would immediately become void. The motion passed with two yes votes from Jodi Underwood and Aaron McKeon, and a vote against by Kevin Morris.