Another proposed charter school in Voorhees has some residents seeing red.
The Creative Studies Charter School is a grassroots proposal for a public school of choice that follows a year round calendar. The annual cost to Voorhees taxpayers for the school would be about $1.2 million if approved by the state in January 2012.
Voorhees has followed suit with Cherry Hill in appealing the decision to allow another charter school to be located in the area.
Regis Academy would be located in Cherry Hill and receive students from Somerdale, Lawnside, Cherry Hill, and Voorhees. If approved, it will cost Voorhees $727,000 a year.
Pamela Brown, an art teacher who is spearheading the effort to bring the Creative Studies school to Voorhees, said just the proposal of a charter school can create change in the public school. She points to the establishment of half-day aftercare in the district after she proposed a similar program last year.
Lisa Tofolo, who has two children in Voorhees public schools, started the Voorhees Parental Advocacy Group as a way of sharing information with other concerned parents about what bringing in charter schools will do.
“I think it’s disgusting that we don’t have a say,” she said, noting she believes charter schools are needed in some places but that there is no need for one in Voorhees. “Instead of trying to put another school in this area why don’t they take those efforts and try to help the schools where there’s a need for it?”
Tofolo said the Voorhees Parental Advocacy Group got about 200 “likes” on Facebook in two days.
“I think it got a lot of blood boiling in the area” about charter schools, she said.
The initial enrollment at Creative Studies begins as an intermediate school, only serving grades three to five, to allow the public school system an easier transition.
Brown said the Creative Studies Charter School is independent of affiliations to any religious or sectarian, nonprofit or for profit outside entities.
“We believe students learn best when they are active participants in the educational process,” she said. “Our technology philosophy is simple: One student = one computer.
“Our curriculum is research based on creative arts integration, an educational approach not available in the traditional Voorhees public school classroom,” Brown added.
She said that, while the law does allow up to 10 percent of students to reside outside the district, Voorhees students will have first priority.
“We are committed to equal access and strive to accurately represent a diverse and true cross section of the community, serving all students, including students requiring special education services, English language learners, economically disadvantaged, and other under served or at-risk populations,” Brown said.
She deflected the question of the fairness of having a charter school receive local taxpayer money while having no say in whether it is needed or not by saying it gives parents more choice.
Lisa Dreyfuss, who also has two children in the Voorhees school district, said she does not know more about the proposed charter school because information has not been disclosed.
She said many live in the township because the school system is so strong.
“Our school system is wonderful,” she said, noting she thinks it’s not fair that charter schools will receive taxpayer money. “I think if that money is allocated to the charter schools that money is going to be taken away from our kids.”
That, Dreyfuss said, could result in larger class sizes and layoffs of teachers.
“It could ultimately take away a lot of our programs that make our schools so good to begin with,” she said.
Parent Ellen Marks said the charter school could result in lowering of property values.
She said they already pay high property taxes and that “we’re happy to do that because of what we get.”
Marks said she is concerned because residents didn’t have a vote on whether to establish charter schools or not.
“I believe we should have had the opportunity to have the information on these charter schools and be able to vote for them as taxpayers in the community,” she said.
“The fact that the community has no say is really the bigger problem here,” Marks said. “I think it’s despicable.”
