PANAMA CITY — Two local charter schools that have been under close scrutiny are up for an extension of their charter Tuesday.
Two years ago, the Bay District School Board reluctantly granted Newpoint Education Partners’ a shorter-than-normal extension of its charter for its two local schools, after questions surfaced about financial management of the company. Newpoint had asked for a five-year extension, but the School Board approved a two-year extension.
Tuesday, the School Board will be asked to approve Superintendent Bill Husfelt’s recommendation to renew Newpoint’s charter for three more years.
Newpoint operates Newpoint Bay High School and middle school Newpoint Bay Academy in Bay County.
Both Newpoint Bay High and Newpoint Bay Academy received a C grade in 2013. From 2009 to 2011 Newpoint Bay High was rated a D school.
In 2012 Newpoint Bay High was rated a B and in 2013 a C. Newpoint Bay Academy was rated a D in 2011 and C in 2012 and 2013.
Back in 2013 Bay District Schools nearly refused to renew Newpoint's charter because of financial issues. School Board Chairman Steve Moss, who was formerly on the Newpoint Bay Charter School Board (charter schools have their own separate school boards) voted in 2013 to renew Newpoint's charter, along with Bay District School Board member Joe Wayne Walker. Ginger Littleton and Ryan Neves objected at that time.
Financial issues in 2013 for Newpoint were concerns that numbers were being manipulated, financial liabilities were being understated and the financial guarantee from the parent company could not be verified because of missing information. Teachers, students, faculty members and parents lobbied the board to keep the Newpoint school open at a School Board meeting in 2013 when the charter was renewed for two years,
Moss said currently the Bay District "is more comfortable with Newpoint's current financial standing than it was two years ago."
Newpoint Bay founding director Carla Lovett said at that board meeting she was "excited for the kids' sake" at the boards' decision to renew Newpoint for two years. Taxpayer funding increased at that time, Lovett said, because of enrollment trending back up.
Officials at the Newpoint campus had no comment this week. A request for comment made to Newpoint Education Partners through their online contact form was not returned. Calls made to a number listed for Newpoint Education Partners were not answered.
Bay District Schools Instructional Specialist for Academic Options Shelly Rouse said Newpoint Bay High started in 2008 and Newpoint Bay Academy in 2010. Rouse handles charter schools for Bay District.
Moss said the Board would vote on approving Husfelt’s recommendation, though added the board could vote to renew the charter for five more years (the standard school charter renewal length) or not renew the charter.
Littleton said she expected the School Board would vote on a three-year extension on Newpoint’s charter. Not renewing Newpoint’s charter for five years, Littleton said, is likely a sign of concern.
Moss said when any charter comes up for renewal, a review committee is put together, with each School Board member picking a person to serve on the committee. The committee then submits a proposal to the superintendent on the charter, Moss said. The committee put together by Bay District Schools recommended to Husfelt Newpoint’s charter be renewed, Moss said.
Board members also will review contracts for two more Newpoint schools, one an elementary school and the other a high school for at-risk students, Rouse said. Rouse said the contract review is a separate meeting agenda item from the renewal of Newpoint Bay High and Newpoint Bay Academy. Moss said the applications for the elementary and at-risk school were already approved.
Moss said the School Board had good relationships with the staff and administration at Newpoint, and that he heard good feedback from parents and students about Newpoint Bay High and Newpoint Bay Academy.
Rouse said Florida is pro-charter and pro-choice opportunity and that increased charter school presence in Bay District is a sign of the school choice issue becoming more visible.
“It’s happening across the state,” Rouse said of the growth of charter schools.