Drayton Hall denied charter

The Charleston County School Board shot down Drayton Hall Elementary's request to convert to a charter school in an intense and contentious called meeting Wednesday night.

Hundreds of people, a majority of whom were Drayton Hall charter supporters, crammed into the school board's meeting room to hear the debate and the board's ultimate decision, which included a moratorium on approving future charter school applications until certain conditions are met. Those included: the state's determination of the extent the district's funding will be cut, the board reviewing the academic performance of each existing charter school and the state Supreme Court ruling on a district lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a state law applicable only to Charleston County. A potential ruling could define the district's financial obligations to charter school

The issue of whether the West Ashley school should be allowed to convert divided the community and the board, with six members voting down the charter and three board members, Elizabeth Kandrac, Arthur Ravenel Jr. and Ray Toler, voting for it.  The board's vote last week was a 4-4 tie, but member Gregg Meyers changed his vote because of his concern with the decision's financial implications.  Board member Ann Oplinger, who was absent from the previous meeting, also voted in favor of denying the charter this week.

Some framed the issue as a decision that would benefit one school and hurt every other school, while others said it was about giving one of the district's higher-performing schools the money owed to it.

Questions and accusations flew about whether the board's meeting was legal, whether the board could legally deny the charter school's application and whether a board member's involvement in drumming up community support against the proposal should preclude the member from voting.  In the end, those in the majority said their major concern, justified by law, was the financial repercussions of the conversion and its effect on the rest of the district.

The district estimates Drayton Hall would receive about $2 million more annually by converting because of the state funding formula requiring that charter schools get the district per-pupil average. The school currently receives less than that because of its larger size, lower student poverty and strong test scores.

District officials are projecting a $15 million deficit for next budget year, and say $2 million less could mean cutting 40 teaching positions, eliminating magnet school transportation or closing up to three schools.  "I'm real, real concerned that if we continue to add charter schools to a strapped district that we're going to do some real serious harm to all of our children," Oplinger said. "I really wish I could think differently about this ... but I have to make a decision based on the best interest of all children in Charleston County."

Two board members, Kandrac and Toler, were especially concerned that the board was breaking its policies and rules by voting on the issue again. If the board hadn't voted again this week on the charter application, it would've been automatically approved.  Ravenel asked the board to approve the charter and said it would spare the district the expense or embarrassment of a judge saying the board must approve the charter.

Drayton Hall plans to appeal the board's decision.  David Pagliarini, an attorney paid for by the school's PTA, said the board legally couldn't deny the charter for a number of reasons, including the board's failure to satisfy the law's requirements for denying a charter and the district failing to provide Drayton Hall with financial information.

Drayton Hall Principal John Cobb said it would be difficult to tell his school community that the people they voted for had let them down.  "This application was for the benefit of all of Charleston County," he said. "We are willing to share (what we learn) with other schools."

Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
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