• By MARSHA SILLS
• Advocate Acadiana bureau
• Published: Nov 19, 2009 - Page: 1B-Acadiana

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LAFAYETTE — School Board members on Wednesday night went over a nonprofit’s proposal to open a charter school, but after an hour and a half, decided against moving the proposal forward.

Outreach Community Development Corp.’s application to open a Type 1 charter school was introduced to the board at its regular meeting Wednesday.

Board members are now set to take action on the proposal at their next regular meeting, Dec. 2.

Board members repeatedly faulted the plan for its scope of services for special education students, transportation, targeted population and how the nonprofit planned to pay for it all.

“My issue is the proposal, which appears to be ambiguous to me,” board member Hunter Beasley said.

The nonprofit applied to open Harvest Preparatory Academy in July for students in fifth through seventh grades and use the district’s facility at N.P. Moss Middle School.

The charter would phase in additional classes each year through 12th grade. The academy has targeted the district’s at-risk students at Alice Boucher and J.W. Faulk Elementary schools, N.P. Moss Middle and Northside High School.

“We want to offer Lafayette Parish an option for success for the students on the north side of town. We feel this is a viable option,” said Tiffanie Lewis, the proposed academy’s executive director.

Lewis told board members the school is a unique option for at-risk students because it would incorporate project-based learning and technology.

Both opportunities are available in the district, board member Greg Awbrey reminded Lewis, who disagreed.

Beasley questioned Lewis for 30 minutes about specific aspects of the proposal, including special education services and budget issues.

Beasley was concerned about wording that stated the academy would seek support from the public school system for charter special education services.

Lewis asserted the academy would use available federal funds for its special education students, but if additional assistance would be needed, the system would work as the academy’s partner.