March 9, 2010
Del. Loupassi Questions Patrick Henry Startup Costs
2 Comments »From RTD;
Del. G. Manoli Loupassi, R-Richmond, has asked Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to address questions related to funding for the public charter school.
He’s the latest in a string of politicians who are lining up behind the school, which would be the sole public elementary charter school in the state if it opens as scheduled in July.
Specifically Loupassi is concerned about’
“It is my understanding the Board has indicated it intends to give PHSSA a smaller per-pupil allotment than it gives the other schools in its jurisdiction,” Loupassi states. “As I read the statute, the duty of the Board is to create, as best it can, a level playing field on funding issues.”
He wants an opinion on whether that violates the same part of state law that Morrissey cited, and whether state law prohibits the school board “from discriminating against the school children attending PHSSA by providing their school less money for their education than other Richmond youngsters.”
i’m at a loss as to why PHSSA seems to be fought against so hard by the powers that be. this being from my mildly informed perspective from outside the fishbowl.
there has to be a deeper issue, my guess would be that it has to do with race relations in our fine city. my hopes are that this can be a catalyst for positive change in the school system as well as for the general sense of community here in richmond.
The core of RPS is an old-boy network; they don’t like innovators or boat-rockers. PH is a major boat-rocker.
Personally, I think that even if PH comes off without a hitch, it’s not going to change much in the grand scheme of things. I might even go so far as to say it’ll make things worse for a good portion of Richmond’s schoolkids. But RPS brought it on themselves- had they operated in a proper, less self-congratulatory and ass-covering manner from the get-go….well, you don’t notice much charter talk in Henrico or Chesterfield, do you?