Charter school in Lava Hot Springs

We are covering this story in our paper due to its proximity to Carribou Co. school districts, and the issue's importance to the area.

With the future of an elementary school in Lava Hot Springs in doubt at present, a committee to explore the potential for establishing a charter school in the town hosted a public meeting at the Senior Center on Thursday, February 22.  The meeting was held following a meeting of the Marsh Valley School District in which an “exploration” of the potential for a charter school to occupy the Lava Hot Springs Elementary building was approved.  Marsh Valley Superintendent Gary Tucker cited declining enrollment as the primary reason that Lava Hot Springs was being singled out for potential closure.

Several options for students in the area were discussed, including bussing the students of Lava Hot Springs to other, nearby schools in the district.  Another idea, and one that has gained traction due to the efforts of concerned parents and citizen Oliver Reis, Megan Reno, and Randy Benglan and others, is the possibility of turning the elementary into a
charter school.

The meeting was partly designed to allow for the election/appointment of a representative to pursue the role of “fellow” with the charter school organization Bluum, who would be providing the institutional apparatus for establishing the school and a framework for moving forward. Bluum is a non-profit group that is responsible for charter school process in Idaho.  A “fellow” works as a liaison with Bluum and the state’s educational entities, and functions like a district superintendent in administrative terms.  

During the meeting, nominations were requested for the fellow position, though it was clear to many of those in attendance that a perfect candidate had been found to exist in the town’s midst already.

Colleen DeGraff has an extensive history in the charter school arena, having founded the Liahona Prep Academy in Provo and the Noah Webster Academy in Orem.  She has worked in a number of capacities relevant to the potential heavy lift that will be required to get Lava’s proposed charter school off the ground, including writing charters, administrating schools, coordinating between agencies, and working with teachers and boards.  DeGraff has been in Lava Hot Springs for around 5 years, and has grown to love the community.  That love is important to the development of a charter, as in her experience they work best when the community is highly involved in the decision making and design of the school’s makeup.

The economics of a charter school were discussed, although that conversation is likely to become an ongoing issue as the process unfurls.  As noted earlier, population decline in Lava Hot Springs will put pressure on the school for continued funding.  It was suggested at the meeting that while priority would be given to residents of Lava Hot Springs, students from other areas would be able to apply to the charter school as well.  Charter schools, unlike prep academies and private schools, do not carry additional tuition charges.  They receive state funding in the same manner as public schools.  They do not, however, receive additional funds from public levies or bonds.

Charter schools are also able to choose an emphasis for their academic offerings, whether that be STEM/STEAM, Outdoor Topics, Athletics, Fine Arts, or whatever the community deems most appropriate for the student population.

During the meeting, it was clear that the community of Lava Hot Springs is heavily invested in keeping a school in town, and in offering their children the best possible future going forward.  Given the high level of engagement, the community seems willing to support whatever solution will achieve those goals.

By the end of the meeting, Colleen De Graff had been voted as the candidate for Bluum fellow by acclimation.  A meeting between Bluum, the School Board, and the Albertson’s Foundation will be convened to vote on DeGraff’s nomination, after which the building blocks of the charter process could begin to be laid.