Debate begins on charter school proposal

Supporters and opponents voiced their opinions earlier this month as the city planning and zoning commission discussed a proposal to build a charter school in Mountain Home.

Known as Richard McKenna Elementary School, the proposed 22,000-square-foot facility on East 8th North Street would provide classes for up to 170 students in kindergarten to sixth grade.

It would be located on an existing athletic field formerly owned by the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints community. Last December, the charter school submitted the winning bid to purchase the property, edging out plans by city officials to turn the land into a community park.

Similar in appearance to Richard McKenna Charter High School on South Haskett Street, the proposed grade school would include six classrooms in the main building for students in first to sixth grade. A separate facility would include a kindergarten classroom along with a multipurpose room to accommodate various school programs.

According to Larry Slade, director for the local charter school, future plans call for building a second facility next to the kindergarten and multipurpose annex for seventh and eighth grade students.

A handful of people provided comments and raised concerns during a public hearing at last week's meeting.

Harold "Hap" Lattin voiced his support for the project, stating that developers would simply put apartments on that land if given the chance.

"I'm in favor of it 100 percent," Lattin said. "I feel that charter school would enhance the area."

Dan Eilers, who owns a home near the proposed school location, also backed the project. While he didn't want to see the existing park go away, he also didn't want to see it filled with houses.

"I'm for the school. I've seen what it's done," said Eilers, who highlighted the accomplishments associated with the existing charter high school here.

However, others like Gerry Sterling voiced their concerns with the project, in particular the amount of additional traffic this type of school would generate. With her family's home located along East 8th North Street, she told the commission that she's dealt with "miserable traffic and miserable parking" in this part of town for years.

Planning and zoning board member Aaron Thomas agreed with that observation.

"The street is horrible with kids and bicyclists going back and forth to school every day," Thomas said.

The school would be situated just four blocks from East Elementary School.

In addition, members of the public were equally concerned with people parking their cars on the street to attend public functions and sporting events at the school. Referring to a diagram of the proposed school complex, Slade pointed out the amount of off-street parking the school would provide, which exceeds the minimum standards outlined in city ordinance.

Questions were also raised on whether buses would park on the street as they transport students to and from the school every day.

In response, Slade said buses and parents would drop off and pick up students in the school's parking lot and would not stop along East 8th North Street.

In addition, Slade emphasized that the school would need to remain open a minimum of two years before daily bus service would start running.

Sterling also voiced her concerns with the impact the school would have on the Mountain Home School District and whether it would require local taxpayers to foot the bill to build the school in the form of a levy.

In response, Slade emphasized that state law prohibits charter schools from using bonds or levies to pay for such facilities, although public schools must use those methods. Instead, they have to either take out bank loans or save up money to build them.

"We're like our own little school district," Slade said.

Sterling also questioned whether the charter school would, in essence, take children away from the existing public schools in Mountain Home. In response, Slade said the charter elementary school could impact the local school district.

However, planning and zoning board member Gisela Light said the alternative school would actually have some benefit. A facility like this would help alleviate overcrowded classrooms in the local school district, she said.

During the Dec. 2 meeting, the commission halted its discussion as questions continued to surface regarding traffic concerns. Highlighting state law, city attorney Jay Friedly said a traffic study was required to gauge the impact the school would have on increased vehicular traffic, bicycles and pedestrians around the school.

The planning and zoning commission then voted to table the discussion until representatives from the charter school have time to address those traffic issues. At the earliest, the planning and zoning commission could resume its discussion on the school's conditional use permit during its next meeting, which is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Jan. 6 at the city council chambers.