UPDATED: Construction on the new Quest Charter Academy has NOT begun

Photos taken today, back/front Loucks on left, back/front Columbia on right.

School starts back at Quest Charter Academy in just a little over a month and it looks like construction is finally underway they are doing some work on the roof.

Quest is slated to make improvements on a portion of Loucks and the old Columbia School this summer. The work was reportedly scheduled to begin after the school year ended in June and is scheduled to be completed by August 16, 2012, in time for school's first high school class.

For the 2012-2013 school year 5th – 6th grade students at Quest will move to the Columbia School building at 2612 N. Bootz Ave; while the 7th - 9th graders will attend school in the Loucks building.

The plan is to demolish about 25,000 square feet, leaving about 55,000 square feet for school use. The part  of Loucks scheduled for demolition is in the oldest section of the building (shown in the photo above), which was built in 1914. (click images to enlarge)

District 150 sold the two buildings to Peoria County for $300,000. The County sold the buildings to Quest. The County also extended a $500,000 line of credit to the Quest board to make repairs on the building. Quest's board members were reportedly scheduled to vote on issuing bids for demolition and improvements immediately after receiving the funds. A quick review of the website for the Quest Board did not clearly indicate what date that meeting would be held.

click image to enlarge

Just trying to understand it all...

What I know: Quest Charter Academy is a public charter school that is within the boundaries of Peoria Public School District #150. Reminder: Quest is not a private school, it is a District 150 public school.

What makes Quest Charter Academy a different District #150 public school, is a charter/contract that allows a separate, non-elected board of citizens (Peoria Charter School Initiative), to utilize federal tax dollars that District #150 receives, to support their vision of a District #150 public school. However, in every other respect, Quest is a public school that sits within school taxing District #150.

Peoria Charter School Initiative is seeking to expand Quest Charter Academy (a District #150 school) and would like to purchase two school buildings from District #150 for $150,000 each.

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Rationalizing: Taxing District #150 is selling the buildings to Peoria County, which will then sell them to charter school District #150 because school laws prevent the District from selling the buildings directly to the charter school District #150. Huh?

Why all the convolution?

"Expect the latter."

Interestingly enough, the post from last Monday, which talked about District 150 terminating the contract with the Peoria Charter School Initiative ("PCSI" the Board for Quest Charter Academy) in 2015, continues to get loads of hits.

I originally thought the quote (shown above) about the 2015 termination of the contract was a typo, so I have been checking the on-line edition for a retraction. To date, I have yet to see a retraction on the statement.

Within the same article as the comment about ending the contract in 2015, the Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools was quoted as saying "I'm excited about the success at Quest,...it's a benefit to the district... (Quest) is expanding into high school for next year and they will continue to have district support. They are meeting the needs of the district and the community." Therein lies the contradiction.

The most recent interview the Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools gave to the local newspaper, didn't reveal any new information on the subject.

Perhaps the retraction was in the "print edition" of the local newspaper. However, I don't take the "print edition" of the local paper. So, if anybody has seen the retraction, please advise.

The final decision to deny, revoke or not renew the PCSI contract in 2015, will be made by the local school board.

Glen Barton named to State Charter School Commission

Former Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Glen Barton has been appointed to a new state commission dealing with charter schools. Barton was one of nine people selected by the Illinois Board of Education for the State Charter School Commission.

Its goal is to review charter school applications and consider them for approval or denial. This will primarily deal with appeals of charter agreements that have been denied, revoked or not renewed by local school boards.

Barton is the current President of the Quest Charter Academy Board in Peoria. The new appointment begins November 1st.Source

Real skin in the D150 game

When reading Pam Adams' editorial of today, it struck me that apparently very few of the people charged with making decisions about public education in Peoria, have children of school age attending D150 schools (i.e., "real skin in the D150 game").

Apparently when the new Superintendent gets to Peoria, she will be looking for a school for her child. On her recent visit to Peoria, all of the people the new Superintendent met with (the movers and shakers in and around City Hall), either didn’t have children in D150 schools and/or when their children were of school age, they mainly went to private schools. What advice do you think they would give a person relocating to Peoria and looking for a new school?

Adams also mentioned that while at the Heartland Partnership/Chamber of Commerce office, the new Superintendent just so happened upon a group meeting on the Charter School Initiative. What advice do you think they would give a person relocating to Peoria and looking for a new school? (The Charter School has one person listed as "Parent" on their Advisory Committee of 34; with zero parents listed on their Steering Committee of seven.)

With all of the talk about parents not being involved in schools, do you think it would help the situation if parents actually saw people with “real skin in the D150 game” helping to make decisions about the schools their children attend?
Is it fair to expect the new Superintendent to put her "real skin in the D150 game" when none of these other people do and/or have?

Peoria Charter School has named a principal

For months now the Friends of the Peoria Charter School Initiative have been pounding my e-mail box with newsletters and updates about the new Charter School.

Pre-Charter School approval, information was abundant, the Facebook, the website, e-mail updates, press conferences, speaking at the BOE meetings - but post Charter School approval - nothing. They have recently hired a new principal, but have not updated any of their information to inform us who this person is.

I first heard Roberta Parks mention hiring somebody named Anglin Blackstone on 92.3 on Tuesday. I was not sure of the name, so I immediately e-mailed Ms. Parks and asked for clarification of the name - she did not respond (I guess you have to be C. J. Summers or Billy Dennis before people consider you relevant).

So again, today, while driving I heard the same blurb from Ms. Parks and again, I think the name she said is Anglin Blackstone? The first name is not clear - but the last name is definitely Blackstone....

... so I Goggled, to no avail. I searched the Charter School Initiative website (not updated since January 13, 2010); the Charter School Facebook page (not updated since February 1, 2010); the 92.3 website news; the District 150 website (updated February 18, 2010, to welcome Dr. Lathan, but nothing about the Charter School principal who was announced before Dr. Lathan); and pjstar.com for any mention and/or introduction of the new Charter School Principal - there is none. Why?