Director comes to new charter school after more than 12 years in Atlanta schools

By Halley Griffin Daily News staff writer
July 10, 2009

Summer Clayton is ready to start from the beginning.

Clayton began her tenure as director of the new Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning on July 1.

"I think one of the things that I'm really, really excited about is being able to start from scratch," Clayton said. "As a small school and as a small community, we can move forward in the way that aligns with our vision. It's shared leadership at its best, and I think that's the way school should be."

Clayton comes to Moscow after working in Atlanta schools for more than 12 years. She last worked as an instructional coach, a role similar to that of assistant principal, in a small school district made up entirely of charter schools.

The elementary schools within the district were based on the same expeditionary learning outward bound model as Palouse Prairie will be, in which all aspects of student learning are incorporated into different units, or "expeditions."

If students are studying presidential elections, for example, their reading, writing, math and science class lessons will be election-related as well.

A past unit Clayton worked on was "history through the eyes of the media." Students studied radio media when they learned about the Great Depression, incorporating math by making Depression-era family budgets.

"I think one of the things that make these expeditions so successful is not just the learning that takes place on the part of the students, but also on the part of the parents (and) the community, because everybody wants to be a part of it," she said.

Clayton said Palouse Prairie probably will wait until spring to implement its first "expedition," because of the sheer volume of work involved.

Despite the hard work, Clayton is passionate about this learning model, which she said would be impossible to give up now that she's found it.

"Teachers are teaching kids to take responsibility for themselves and their learning," she said. "It empowers kids."

Palouse Prairie was one of just two expeditionary learning schools looking for a director when Clayton began submitting applications.

"I did not want to go to a non-(expeditionary learning) school," she said.

Clayton said the movement is growing but job satisfaction is so high within the model that the turnover rate is low.

"Teachers like working there, administrators like working there, so they don't want to leave," she said. "So teachers don't move very often."

Clayton will live in Moscow with her partner and son.

Palouse Prairie is a free public charter school, located in the old Brown's Furniture Building on South Main Street. The school has seats available for fall in all grades but kindergarten.

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

Palouse Prairie officials getting building ready for classes to start this fall

By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
July 3, 2009

Moscow's newest school is a hub of activity these days.

The Palouse Prairie School of Expeditionary Learning will become Moscow's second active charter school this fall, and one of the six sanctioned by the state of Idaho to open each year.

Parent and trustee committees are hard at work planning school lunches, student nutrition programs and playgrounds.

Architects, contractors and volunteers have been moving, cleaning, painting, pouring concrete, erecting walls and making plans for several months now, and hope to have their building ready for students by mid-August.

School Director Summer Clayton officially began her appointment July 1, and is already diving into work, and facility upgrades are in the home stretch.

"I feel like things are coming together, it's happening really fast," Palouse Prairie School Board member Lahde Forbes said.

Hearing the sounds of construction has been a relief for school board members who say securing a building has been their toughest task to date.

"Because we couldn't get our charter through the charter commission in Boise before we had a building that fits our needs," Forbes said. "That's what took a really long time, was simply finding a facility that works. And once that happened we could say, 'OK, this is when the first day is, this is what will happen next.' "

Plans for the building have steadily been moving forward since Brotnov Architecture was hired in January, with the exception of a few financial hiccups.

The school will be housed in the old Brown's Furniture building on South Main Street, and the board of trustees had hoped to spend about $120,000 on "phase one" of construction.

But bids came in around $200,000 and the board was forced to take out a loan to cover the rest of the cost.

Charter schools have only been around for a decade in Idaho, but already have a history of finding themselves unable to purchase facilities or make upgrades.

While they receive funding based on the same state formula as any other public school, charter schools are not included in a taxing district and cannot run bond or levy elections to pay for capital projects.

"Any little bit (of money) helps us, just because there's not much in the federal grant or coming from the state," school board member Daniela Monk said. "We're going to try some fundraising, but mainly the hope is going to be apply for grants."

Work this summer includes the most necessary upgrades like remodeling bathrooms and pouring concrete sidewalks outside the school, Monk said.

Phase one also includes erecting walls for the kindergarten and first-grade classrooms, although budget constrains prohibit doors, Monk said.

The building had a number of existing walls from its previous use as a furniture showroom, and the combined second- and third-grade classroom will be mostly enclosed with those walls.

The fourth- and fifth-grade area will be housed in the northwest corner of the building, and will be separated by bookshelves and other creative dividers.

The building itself is sunny and open, and Monk said part of the board's goal was to leave as much open wall space as possible to display student artwork.

Keeping walls open is just one example of the many ways school board members worked to keep the remodeling project in line with their priorities for the school.

"I can't say our facility is 'green,' but it's an adaptive reuse of a facility," Forbes said, adding that the bathrooms also will feature low-flush toilets and waterless urinals to stay true to the school's goal of using and reusing local products.

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

Idaho schools to see 3.2 percent cut

Palouse Prairie School is still waiting to learn the exact impact on its budget, the funding comes in several categories, including the administrative and teacher salaries categories mentioned at the end of the article.

---

From Moscow-Pullman Daily News
Staff and wire reports
May 2, 2009

Idaho public schools took a lower-than-anticipated budget hit Friday, when Gov. C.L. "Butch Otter" signed their $1.4 billion 2010 budget into law.

State funding will be reduced just 3.2 percent with the help of federal stimulus money, state taxpayer funding and cash from rainy-day reserves to minimize cuts.

This is the first time in generations Idaho spending on public education is less than the previous year.

School district officials have waited and waited to find out how much money they'll receive from the state. They've had to set supplemental levy amounts based on guesses and estimates.

"I still don't know how much money we're getting," said Genesee Superintendent David Neumann. "It's nerve-wracking to wait so long to know where we're going to be."

He said the Genesee School District is cutting its budget by 6.6 percent.

Moscow School District Candis Donicht was out of town and not available for comment. Moscow Curriculum Director Cindy Bechinski declined to comment on the budget until she had a chance to read through it.

The public schools funding program was shifted in 2006 from an education maintenance and operations levy to a 1-percent sales tax increase.

Local school officials and legislators spoke out against the shift when it was implemented, and have repeatedly expressed frustration with the new funding formula. They say the switch removed the public schools' funding stability, or "three-legged stool."

"I certainly see the need to cut based on the economics. But part of the problem was created by the Legislature itself when they took away our ability to apply local property taxes," Neumann said.

The bill Otter inked Friday included $60 million from the federal stimulus package.

But it holds millions more in reserve in case the money is needed during the coming year if tax revenue declines even further.

"No one wants to cut education," Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. "Unfortunately, with state revenues continuing to decline, we cannot avoid it."

Administrators can expect an average 5 percent base salary cut; teachers pay will be cut 2.63 percent.

New Moscow charter school nearly full of students

From Moscow-Pullman Daily News

Palouse Prairie fills 73 of its 87 seats; Moscow School District looks at potential layoffs

By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
March 30, 2009

Seventy-three local students have secured slots at a new charter school that will open in Moscow this fall, while two Moscow teachers could find themselves without jobs next school.

Palouse Prairie Charter School officials announced Saturday they'd filled 73 of the available 87 seats through a lottery process. The rest of the seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, said all but six of the students live within the Moscow School District.

Moscow School District officials have predicted the district will need to cut two teachers for next year to cope with the decreased enrollment.

"This is on top of the state reduction," Superintendent Candis Donicht said today.

Donicht said based on the results of the lottery, she still believes the district will need to downsize by two positions.

The state funds school districts based on 99 percent of their previous year's enrollment to protect districts that suffer decreased enrollment from one year to the next.

"The 99 percent is designed to give us a net when we have lost enrollment," Donicht said. "So the impact is lessened for this year, but it flows into (future) years ... It lessens it to a degree, but it's still a major cut."

According to Idaho State Department of Education data, the state spent an average of $5,644 per student during the 2007-08 school year.

However, Idaho Department of Education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath said it's "virtually impossible" to calculate how much state funding would decrease for the Moscow School District with a loss of about 70 students.

She said funding is based on the types and ages of students in addition to the numbers of students.

Donicht said she has had several notices of retirement or resignation from elementary school teachers, and still hopes to be able to ease job cuts through some attrition.

The next step for the Palouse Prairie board of directors is to hire a school director and teachers.

Peterson said the school has a "large pile" of applications for both director and teachers.

Ashley Ater Kranov, vice chairwoman of the board of directors, said the board has 10 highly qualified applicants for the director position from all over the United States.

The board began screening applicants last week, and hopes to have an accepted offer by mid-May or sooner.

The board also is preparing to put out a bid for remodeling on the old Brown's Furniture building at the corner of Lauder Avenue and South Main Street.

"This is a big milestone to pass, and we are looking forward to hiring teachers and directors," Peterson said. "Our focus right now is just to get the school open successfully."

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

Possibility of layoffs spooks Moscow District teachers

Worth knowing before you read: The Governor is recommending a 1% reduction in state support to school districts and for Moscow School District that will amount to about $100,000. State law protects 99% of the state support to the District in the event of an enrollment loss (such as Palouse Prairie School would cause, or a mill closure would cause). So the financial loss to the District caused by Palouse Prairie School, based on the District's estimate is 1% of 50 students is one-half of a student's revenue or about $2500.

MOSCOW: Possibility of layoffs spooks teachers
By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
Posted on: Saturday, January 17, 2009

Hackles are up at Russell Elementary School.

Of the four elementary schools in Moscow, Russell's teachers are the newest, and they are the most likely to be affected if the school district is forced to consider layoffs.

"Just hearing the term (Reduction In Force), it's hard not to get your back up a little," said teacher Melissa Mueller. After four years, she's one of the school's most senior teachers.

Layoffs aren't on the table yet, but Superintendent Candis Donicht will recommend activation of a Reduction in Force policy at Tuesday's school board meeting in response to state budget woes and the opening of Palouse Prairie Charter School next fall.

The RIF policy outlines the procedures for reducing the number of district staff.

"Even if we didn't have the condition of the state, we would still need to downsize staffing for next year because we have a new charter school and some of our students will be going there," Donicht said. "Every school district is going to be affected by the reduced appropriation, and our district has a sort of second event going on as well."

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie Board of Directors, wrote in an e-mail Friday he has no way of knowing how many students might come out of the Moscow School District. However, he said the 87 spots at Palouse Prairie are most likely to be filled with Moscow students, with some home- or privately schooled students as well.

Donicht said the district anticipates at least 50 students departing for Palouse Prairie, and said her district can't afford to be overstaffed for next fall. With 50 fewer students, the district would need to downsize by about two teachers.

"When people hear the word RIF, they automatically think teachers are going to be getting pink slips," Donicht said. "That isn't necessarily the case."

She said she hopes to be able to account for those positions through retirements or resignations, rather than having to lay off staff.

The Russell teachers hope so too.

"I think the thing that has really been on our minds is we have formed an incredible group," Mueller said, adding that losing staff would be like losing family.

She's especially nervous about first-year teacher Anissa Vreeland, one of the newest to join the staff.

"I was hired late in the summer," Vreeland said. "I feel like I'm last on the list."

Russell teacher Stacy Albrecht said she first got wind of the RIF during Friday's in-service day, and spent a fair amount of time discussing it. When she called her husband, a teacher at Moscow Junior High School, he hadn't yet heard of it.

"That's because it's hitting the elementary schools harder," Mueller said. Palouse Prairie will open this fall to students in kindergarten through fifth grade. If 50 students leave the district, it will be elementary school teachers left without students.

Idaho Public Charter School Commission Chairman Bill Goesling said there are some prominent issues with the effect of a new school on the existing district, but the provisions of the charter school act were designed to expand options for parents.

"It does create some excitement within a district when a charter school opens," Goesling said. "I think that's the challenge: the old way versus the new way; is the old way valid? I think that's one of the ongoing challenges as we continue to increase school choice."

With six new charter schools opening next fall, Idaho will have 37 across the state.

State Department of Education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath said 7,000 students statewide are on waiting lists for charter schools.

Other Idaho school districts have had to adjust to the presence of new schools in the area.

Idaho schools chief Tom Luna addressed patrons of the Gooding School District last week, imploring them not to divide the community over two school options, according to the Twin Falls Times-News.

The district is experiencing a 10-percent enrollment decline from students leaving for a new charter school that opened this fall.

Donicht and the Russell teachers hope the effect on the Moscow School District will be minimal.

"At this point, this is all new to us," Albrecht said. "It's hard not to be a little uncomfortable though."

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

IF YOU GO:

WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20

WHERE: Moscow Junior High School music room

WHAT: The Moscow School Board will discuss activating a Reduction In Force for the month of March.

Palouse Prairie receives large grant from Idaho Department of Education

By Halley Griffin, Daily News staff writer
November 26, 2008
appearing in Moscow-Pullman Daily News - DNews.com

The Palouse Prairie Charter School recently received a $671,949 grant from the Idaho State Department of Education, and will use the money to train the school principal, board and teachers.

The school has been in the works for several years and is slated to open for business next fall.

The school also may use some of the grant money for computers, furniture and library books, or certain remodeling projects, said Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors.

"This is hugely helpful," Peterson said. "We applied for $650,000. You need all that sort of stuff to start up a school."

Palouse Prairie will receive $200,000 of the grant this year, and will receive two more payments later on if it meets its yearly goals.

The Idaho Department of Education applied for federal funding to provide grants for schools developing innovative programming, Department of Education School Choice Coordinator Shirley Rau said.

Eleven schools were awarded grants that can be renewed for up to three years. Three of the awardees are start-up charter schools, she said. Idaho currently has 31 charter schools, with six more scheduled to open next fall.

Rau said Palouse Prairie's application stood out to the panel of reviewers.

"Palouse Prairie's application was very unusual in the fact that it had an extremely high level of professional development," Rau said. "The reviewers were very impressed with their proposal."

Palouse Prairie Charter School will operate on an expeditionary learning outward bound model, in which students learn through an "integrated inquiry process," Rau said. In other words, if students are studying the effect of rainwater on the local environment, their reading, writing, math and science classes will all be integrated into the study of rainwater.

"It's not an easy educational model to implement or replicate," Rau said, adding that the school's grant application also stood out because of its high percentage of funding devoted to teacher development in the expeditionary learning model.

"That will really make that a good, solid school," Rau said.

Peterson said the school is searching for a principal.

"We're just about to start screening candidates," Peterson said. "We would like to have a contract for the person in January."

Ashley Ater-Kranov is chairwoman of the principal search and a member of the school's board of directors. She said the board will begin reviewing applications this week, conduct phone interviews next week, and hopefully have the finalist come for an in-person interview in mid-December.

"What's nice is that we have quite a few (applicants) within Idaho," Ater-Kranov said.

Peterson said the board of directors would like to have the principal involved in the search for teachers and student recruitment.

Palouse Prairie Charter School is a free public school, and is open to anyone. There are spots available for 87 children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Enrollment will be open from February to March.

"Things are really revving up, and we need as many people as possible to help us do our start-up work," Ater-Kranov said, adding that there are two open positions on the board of directors. Job descriptions are posted on the school's Web site, along with contact and application information.

Palouse Prairie also received $100,000 from the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Foundation in August. That donation was unrestricted, so the school may use it for salaries, remodeling and operational expenses, Peterson said.

On the Web: www.palouseprairieschool.org.

Halley Griffin can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hgriffin@dnews.com.

HER VIEW: Charter schools provide quality education

By Briana LeClaire,
July 11, 2008

Isn't it surprising when the Daily News reports the obvious? Readers were recently informed the Moscow School District will receive less money if it loses students to the new Palouse Prairie Charter School (July 4). Since public school funding has always followed the child, Idaho's public charter school law, created in 1998, has meant some public school funding has been following children into public charter schools for 10 years. In other words, this latest story gives a sour taste, but it is not news.

As the president of the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families, I congratulate Moscow families on expanding their public school choices. The coalition is the voice of thousands of students, parents and teachers who together work to make Idaho's public charter schools a success story. While the choices offered by Idaho public charter schools may not be for every student, these options meet a critical need for many Idaho families. Offering high-quality curriculum, flexible, individual instruction, and the oversight of certified Idaho teachers, charter schools are helping many students to thrive outside of traditional public schools.

From teachers' union leaders to homeschoolers, everyone agrees educational choice is desirable. Many Idaho school districts have embraced choice and present parents with different options. Idaho's largest school district, Meridian, offers a performing arts elementary school, technical-professional schools, year-round schedules, and will offer an International Baccalaureate high school starting this fall. Ten years ago, the Boise School District was losing students and it responded with school choices including a math and science junior high school, dual language schools, a Harbor Method elementary, a Montessori school and more. Choices in the form of charter schools are in dozens of Idaho communities including Kuna, Twin Falls, Sandpoint, Mountain Home, Nampa and Pocatello.

Until now, Moscow's major public school innovation has been the Moscow Charter School, which was chartered by and is funded through the Moscow School District. It is popular, boasting an enrollment of 146 students, 20 children on the kindergarten waiting list, and 41 waiting altogether. The Palouse Prairie Charter School further increases choice in Moscow. Opening in fall 2009 with 75 students and aiming for 200, it will be an Expeditionary Learning school. Expeditionary Learning is a proven educational model that has had success both nationwide and regionally at the 10-year-old ANSER Charter School in Boise, Pocatello Community Charter School and Summit School in Spokane Valley. The idea of an Expeditionary Learning school in north Idaho is very exciting news for those of us in the charter school movement.

The chartering process is demanding, with an outcome that is far from certain. As was reported in the Daily News, after several attempts Palouse Prairie's charter was finally approved in June. Because of a perceived competition for resources, the chartering process can lead to animosity. Divisiveness might sell papers, but what will benefit all the publicly schooled children in Moscow, traditional and charter alike, is a spirit of collaboration where each school excels to meet its students' needs. Because one-size-fits-all never fits anyone correctly, it's time to stop expecting one type of school - or even one type of public charter school - to fit all public school students.

Parents should have the right be as involved in their children's education as they want to be. The families of Palouse Prairie public charter school have labored for years to bring forth an innovative, effective and inspiring school that will enhance the entire region. I encourage you to learn more about both of Moscow's public charter schools and the choices they offer. Who knows? One of them may even be the best fit for your family.

Briana LeClaire, a former Moscow resident, is the president of the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families. Her children are enrolled in the Idaho Virtual Academy, a virtual public charter school. She lives in Meridian.

Biz Bits: Business stays put for now, and then could move later

Charter school won't displace used furniture, antique store yet
By Murf Raquet
July 12, 2008

Larry Woodbury has owned the building that houses Now & Then, a used furniture and antique store, for years. H took over the business in December. He recently reached a deal to lease part of the building to Palouse Prairie Charter School.

"It looks like they'll take over the upstairs in June 2009," Woodbury said. "Until then it's business as usual."

That message was lost after it was announced that Palouse Prairie would receive a charter and had a site for the school.

"I don't want people to think we're closed," he said.

In October 2009, the school will take over the basement. At that point Woodbury will move to a new location or continue the business from his barn in rural Moscow.

He also could look at selling the business or taking some inventory to antique shows.

The building has 4,000 square feet of space on each floor and formerly housed the Moscow High School wood shop.

Remodeling for classrooms and offices is planned before the school becomes operational.

Woodbury has done extensive cleaning at the business and upgraded the inventory, including European antiques such as hutches and washstands. He's also adjusted prices to make items more affordable.

Woodbury purchases a portion of the store's inventory locally, including clean mattresses, he said.

In addition to Now and Then, Woodbury owns and operates Four Seasons Lawn Care and rental apartments.

"There's plenty to do to keep busy," he said.

The school's lease is for three years with an option to renew for another three years.

Now and Then is located at 310 E. Palouse River Drive. Business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call (208) 882-7886.

MSD could pay a price for new charter school

By Devin Rokyta, Daily News staff writer
July 4, 2008

Palouse Prairie Charter School's impending opening could affect the amount of money the Moscow School District receives from the state.

It also could limit any potential new hiring by the district.

Palouse Prairie officials expect to enroll 75 students when the school opens in the fall of 2009, and its latest plans call for its four-classroom school to be located at 321 E. Palouse River Drive - the current location of the Now & Then antique shop.

The school initially will enroll students in grades K-6, but expects to eventually expand to serve seventh- and eighth-graders as well.

Tim Hill, deputy superintendent of finance at the Idaho Department of Education, said state funding is derived from a complicated formula that takes into account a school's average daily attendance, grade level of students and staff experience. Schools receive more money for high school students than elementary-age students, and more for staff members with experience. According to state figures, the Moscow School District received an average of $8,052 per student for the 2006-07 school year.

While there are several variables in determining funding and exact figures can't yet be determined, the potential loss of 75 students could have negative consequences for the school district, Superintendent Candis Donicht said.

"A key number in the funding formula has to do with head counts," she said.

Money for some of Palouse Prairie's budget will come from the state using the same funding formula. Moscow Charter School is chartered by MSD and receives funding through the district.

The district should have a better idea of Palouse Prairie's effect on its budget in the spring, when the new charter school releases its roster.

"It remains to be seen," Donicht said. "For funding purposes and staffing purposes we should know soon.

"What it boils down to is you have to staff appropriately for the students you are anticipating," she added. "You don't need additional teachers if the student numbers don't warrant it. No one can afford to be overstaffed, but we can't afford to be understaffed either."

In the worst-case scenario the new school could result in a loss of jobs for the district.

"That remains to be seen," Donicht said. "With a new school starting up it's not likely that we will be adding teachers."

Palouse Prairie's charter was approved last week, when the Idaho Public Charter Commission voted to reverse an earlier denial of the proposed school's charter petition.

Palouse Prairie officials first sought charter approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. However, board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.

The commission denied the school's initial attempts to secure a charter because of concerns related to its budget and the lack of a suitable facility. The Palouse Prairie board of directors had proposed two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.

School officials satisfied those concerns at an appeals hearing by proposing a new location on Palouse River Drive and securing two grants that addressed budgetary issues.

The school still must secure a conditional use permit from the city of Moscow and address several remodeling issues before the school can be opened. Devin Rokyta can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail at drokyta@dnews.com.

Palouse Prairie granted charter

Proposed school plans to locate on Palouse River Drive, open to students in fall 2009

By Devin Rokyta, Daily News staff writer
June 27, 2008

Palouse Prairie Charter School officials cleared a major hurdle Thursday in their attempt to open a school in Moscow, when the Idaho Public Charter Commission voted to reverse its earlier denial of the group's charter petition.

School officials hope to locate the four-classroom facility at 321 E. Palouse River Drive - the current location of the Now & Then antique shop - and have the school open for students in August 2009.

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, said the school expects to enroll 75 students in grades K-6 for its inaugural year. School officials plan to eventually educate seventh- and eighth-graders as well.

The proposed school first sought its approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. However, its board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.

The state denied the school's first attempts at securing a charter because of concerns related to its budget and the lack of a suitable facility. The Palouse Prairie board of directors had proposed two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.

Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said school officials addressed those concerns at an appeals hearing in late May and at Thursday's meeting. The new location they proposed on Palouse River Drive alleviated location concerns and they secured two grants that addressed budgetary issues.

"This gave us a more comfortable feeling that they had the resources and the facilities to make a go at it," Goesling said.

Peterson is pleased to see the proposed school is now making headway.

"It's been three-and-a-half years getting this far and we are excited to finally get out of the starting gates," Peterson said. "This was not a one-person show, this was a team effort."

The school still must secure a conditional use permit from the city of Moscow and address several remodeling issues before the school can be opened. Peterson is confident the city will approve a permit.

"I think we can make a convincing case and I think the location we found is not going to be problematic to its neighbors," Peterson said.

Moscow School District Superintendent Candis Donicht is on vacation and was not available for comment.

More information about the Palouse Prairie Charter School can be found at PalousePrairieSchool.org.

Devin Rokyta can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 237, or by e-mail at drokyta@dnews.com.

Palouse Prairie denied charter

Be sure to read the last 2 paragraphs of this article -- the glass is more than half full!

By Hadley Rush, Daily News staff writer
Tuesday, March 11, 2008 - Page Updated at 12:00:00 AM

Palouse Prairie Charter School officials still hope to open their doors in fall 2009 despite having their charter application denied last week in Boise.

The Idaho Public Charter School Commission turned down the proposed Moscow charter school's application Thursday. It was the second time Palouse Prairie officials had applied for a charter from the commission.

Commission Chairman Bill Goesling of Moscow said the proposed school will receive official notification by the end of the week, declining its application.

He said there were two major areas of concern - the school's budget and the lack of a suitable facility.

"When they made the first application, we (also) mentioned those concerns," Goesling said.

Idaho Charter Schools Program Manager Tamara Baysinger said the commission was pleased with Palouse Prairie's educational program, but there wasn't sufficient evidence that the school would succeed financially.

"The commission acknowledged that the petitioners did a lot of work," Baysinger said. "Unfortunately, there still wasn't an adequate facility."

Baysinger said although it's possible the school still could open in 2009, that is unlikely.

The petitioners would either have to go through the appeals process or start over with a new charter petition, which could take eight months to a year, she said.

Nils Peterson, chairman of the Palouse Prairie board of directors, had previously identified two possible sites for the school, including a spot near The Silos development in east Moscow and the first floor of the 1912 Center in Moscow.

Silos officials had offered to build a facility for the school, Peterson said.

Peterson said a charter school commissioner had recommended Palouse Prairie "find an angel to help with the facility issue."

"We thought we had found an angel in the offer from The Silos to build us a facility, but commissioners expressed concerns that the facility was small and would ... be outgrown," he said.

Peterson said the use committee for Heart of the Arts, Inc., which manages the 1912 Center, has "provided Palouse Prairie a draft of its application questions for tenants."

"I'm really pleased," he said. "This gets us closer to having the conversation with HAI about leasing space."

Heart of the Arts Executive Director Jenny Sheneman has said it's probably not feasible to have a charter school in the 1912 Center due to space constraints.

Sheneman also has said there would be problems with parking spaces, as well as occupancy regulations.

"It's a community center and we don't necessarily want to occupy it with a school," Sheneman said.

Sheneman said Palouse Prairie's projected opening date also would take the 1912 Center out of the running. The first floor of the center likely won't be ready for occupancy until 2010.

"The timetable is just ridiculous," she said.

Peterson wrote in a Monday e-mail to the Daily News that despite "uncertainties at present," he still thinks the 1912 Center is an appealing option.

"We will work with (the center) to see if those (uncertainties) can be nailed down," he wrote.

Peterson wrote that the board also will continue to look for more location options.

"We are continuing to work with a Realtor looking for other solutions," he wrote. "It looks like a buyers' market right now. I welcome anyone with a creative idea."

Peterson indicated that the State Department of Education awarded a $20,000 Vision grant to Palouse Prairie officials. The money will be used for staff support, board training, curriculum design and planning for the Palouse Prairie summer expedition.

Peterson said the summer expedition program is scheduled for the last two weeks in July.

Hadley Rush can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hrush@dnews.com.

Daily News:Palouse Prairie Charter School eyeing 2009 start date

By Hadley Rush Daily News staff writer

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - Page Updated at 12:00:00 AM

The ongoing search for a facility and past budgeting problems have again pushed back the opening date of the proposed Palouse Prairie Charter School.

The school, which hoped to open its doors this August, now won't be up and running until at least 2009, said Nils Peterson, chairman of the school's board of directors.

"The charter went to Boise" Tuesday, he said. "The commission meets on March 6, and we hope to have our charter approved then."

Upon approval, Peterson said charter school officials will move forward in securing a school facility and begin to recruit students in grades K-6.

Peterson has said the school eventually will expand to serve seventh- and eighth-graders.

"We are targeting an enrollment of 72 to open," Peterson said. "That's kind of a compromise between how small and how big (the school needs to be). We know we need to start small and that we need to recruit children away from other (schooling) alternatives."

The proposed school first sought its approval through the Moscow School District in 2006. Its board members stopped the process in September 2006 and decided to apply for a charter through the state commission instead.

"The charter was reviewed in April of 2007 by the charter commission," Peterson said. "They asked us to come back with better answers to a three-part problem."

Peterson said the commission asked charter school officials to work on budgeting, facility and enrollment issues.

"Their concern was that the budget needed to reflect a realistic facility cost," Peterson said. "And so the work that we have done in the last nine months has been primarily to address those concerns."

Peterson said he has high hopes the charter will be approved.

"I don't expect the charter would be rejected, but there might be some other issues we'd need a better job of addressing," he said.

Peterson said charter school officials are considering renting classroom space in two different areas of town.

"The 1912 Building is an appealing option because of its potential for us to grow there," Peterson said. "We have asked the Heart of the Arts board, who manages the 1912, (if the charter school could) start with a three-room facility and grow from there. We're interested in the first floor."

Peterson said The Silos development in east Moscow also has offered rental space at a cost of $13 per square-foot per year.

"The owners there have offered to build and rent to us a small school facility, but the site is limited and we'd quickly outgrow it (within) two years," Peterson said.

Brenda von Wandruszka of Moscow Realty, one of the developers behind The Silos, said Silos officials offered rental space to the Palouse Prairie Charter School because they're eager to help the school get on its feet.

"We want to help them facilitate their school," von Wandruszka said. "We would build on to the Silos to help them as soon as their charter is ready to go."

Peterson said the 1912 Center may be a better fit because of location.

"The 1912 building is really centrally located and the Moscow School District provides great busing right across the street," Peterson said, referring to Moscow High School. "We could start small and add a classroom a year for several years. We're prepared to pay a commercial lease, but I don't know what price the Heart of the Arts would set."

Peterson said Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna recently made grant money available to school organizations before their charter is approved.

"We are applying for a grant right now, which would help support a summer expedition camp in July 2008 and other planning activities," Peterson wrote in an e-mail. "Luna's efforts have brought new energy to our group, and we are confident we'll be able to open in 2009."

Peterson said the summer camp is scheduled for the last two weeks in July in Moscow.

"The theme is sustainable agriculture," Peterson said. "We'd like to work with Backyard Harvest - a middle man that helps fresh produce move from people's back yards and orchards to various kinds of food banks. (We'd like) to involve the children in that service activity."

Peterson said the grant funding would secure a venue to host the camp and pay for insurance.

"We will get out marketing information when we have facility and insurance problems solved," Peterson said.

Peterson said he's excited to get plans for the school off the ground.

"We have disappointed parents several times now, but this process has proven to be much longer and more difficult than any of us banked on," he said.

For more information about the Palouse Prairie Charter School, visit its Web site at www.PalousePrairieSchool.org.

Hadley Rush can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 239, or by e-mail at hrush@dnews.com.