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TEAM Academy still waiting for sponsor, school site
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By RUTH ANN HAGER
Staff Writer

WASECA — With both its sponsorship and location still uncertain for the 2010-2011 school year, TEAM Academy continues to pursue its options.

The charter school’s sponsorship by the Waseca School District expires June 30 and was not renewed by the Waseca School Board, resulting in TEAM’s decision to leave the Central Intermediate School wing it has occupied for six years.

Principal Jill Ladwig expects to hear from a potential sponsor, Innovative Quality Schools, in the next couple of days with instructions on what TEAM must submit to apply for sponsorship.

IQS, a new company founded by former Minnesota education commissioner Bob Wedl, has applied to be a state charter school sponsor. If the company is requesting paperwork, Ladwig speculates that IQS has received that approval.

As for a new location, Ladwig said the school continues to pursue South Side Education Center, if that’s an option, but also continues to work on getting a lease finalized on the Krause-Anderson building in North Ridge strip mall.

South Side, a neighborhood elementary school that now houses the Area Learning Center and Waseca County Off Campus, will be closed next year under the Waseca School District’s budget reduction plan.

“We’ve always wanted to move over there,” said Ladwig. She said the building is large enough to house the charter school which currently enrolls 133 students, grades kindergarten through sixth.

“We’ll see what the district wants to do ... if they want to rent to us, otherwise, we have another option,” she said.

Ladwig believes renting South Side to TEAM would be the “best option for the community.”

“The school district would get lease money for a building that’s going to stand empty. And we’re not going anywhere. They might as well get some money out of us,” she said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the school board gave Ladwig and TEAM Business Manager Carol Russell the authority to make a decision on applying for a bank line of credit based on the lowest interest rates available from local banks.

The board also approved its contract for 2009-2010 special education services.

According to an agreement with the Waseca Public Schools, the public school special education staff spend a minimum of 3,500 hours at TEAM Academy during the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

The school district pays the entire employment costs, including salary and fringe benefits, according to the agreement, and TEAM reimburses the school district an estimated $69,200, subject to final salary and contract settlements.

Salaries of $30,430 for 11 special education teachers, $24,170 for two special education paras, and $554 for a part time contract total $55,154 for 3,494 service hours. Fringe benefits total $14,044.

The first TEAM $34,600 payment is due to the school district March 19 and the second $34,600 payment is due May 21. Any “final clean-up payment” is due Dec. 17.



Ruth Ann Hager is at 507- 837-5446 or rhager@wasecacountynews.com.

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Member Opinions:
By: jonmiller on 3/13/10
+1

By: amomof2 on 3/13/10
Agreed, this is a win-win situation. I would think that if there were renovations/maintenance to be made; an attempt should be made to fix them. We are keeping the doors open to another school in the community instead of closing down and letting the building go to waste. We are allowing a reputable charter school to obtain a home. It getting old hearing of such competitiveness b/w private,charter,public schools, Our goal is and should be to offer as much to our children educationally as possible!

By: onevoice on 3/12/10
Concerning Southside, are there any renovations/put off maintanence issues, that need to be performed on any part or function of the building? If there were, at what/who's expense?

By: bleedingheart on 3/12/10
But would the school district come up with silly reasons not to lease it to TEAM? I totally agree it would be a win-win situation for all parties involved.

By: forwhatitsworth on 3/12/10
I agree, South Side is a win-win for both TEAM and the public school system. By leasing the South Side building, the money also stays local.

By: jonmiller on 3/11/10
If the school district votes down the use of south side, then shame on them. Like i have said, choices are good for Waseca Schools. My kids will go to sacred heart, team, and public. These are all good choices.
And what are we teaching our kids when we cant work together. And even if families have kids going to team or sacred heart, they still our paying property taxes. Which in turn goes to the school district.



 
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