Tri-Cities Talk: Do You Support The Virtual Charter School Proposal?

Welcome to Tri-Cities Talk—a feature in which we ask our Facebook fans to share their views on current issues facing Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles.

Every week, we get the conversation started by taking a look back at a question we asked the Tri-Cities community the week before on local Patch Facebook pages.

Much discussion has surrounded a recent proposal to divert some public school funding to a "virtual charter school" that, at year's end, would pocket as profit what it does not spend on educating the kids. That brings us to this week's question:

What do you think about the proposal to bring a virtual charter school to the Tri-Cities and 15 other local school districts?

Take a look at what people had to say and join the conversation in the comments section. 

Amy Compton Biancheri: According to both your article and others, the virtual charter school's parent company, K12, has a horrible academic track record, plus they're being sued in several states for bad practices, so I think it's a terrible idea to divert public funds away from the public schools that have to have accountability to a company that has no accountability and makes a profit off of doing a poor job educating kids. — Batavia Patch Facebook

Taffy Airey Wille: I didn't realize that schools ever had money left over at the end of the year. — Geneva Patch Facebook

Sara Brent Sonin: How about we just focus on the current schools? We have an awesome district and don't need this. — St. Charles Patch Facebook

Sue Clark Trillet: I hope BPS and other local districts find a way to stop this. Our tax money for schools should stay right here and help locsl kids-not end up in a strangers pocket! — Batavia Patch Facebook

Ginny McGinnerson: It's just about the worst idea ever. I don't really want my tax money going to K12 Incs shareholders. — Geneva Patch Facebook

Ginny Waller: Thank you for raising this topic. When Charter School proposals are brought forward, it is the legal responsibility of local school boards to carefully review any and all proposals. Everything that I have read so far raises many yellow flags regarding the current proposals. If the charter school proposal is voted down, the state requires a written report. Voting for or against, school boards need to ask incisive questions and seek the information they need to make sound and defendable decisions for their communities. — St. Charles Patch Facebook

Colleen Smith: A country without an excellent public school system is a country without a future. If one wants to send their child to a non public school...let them...let them pay themselves. — Batavia Patch Facebook

Jo Dennis: Reject it please. — Geneva Patch Facebook

Steve Martin: At this point, I'm opposed. I question the financial strength of K12 Inc. to follow through. At the separate presentations to St. Charles and Batavia School Boards, I got the impression that representatives from Virtual Learning Solutions, which would contract with K12 to run the school, aren't from this area and aren't able to answer some basic questions about the proposed virtual school. While a public school system has an elected board that should answer to the taxpayers, it would seem that the virtual school would not, and, in fact, K12 is a for-profit corporation which answers to its shareholders. It sounds to me like they have a lot more homework to be done before moving forward. — St. Charles Patch Facebook

So what's your take? Tell us in the comments. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT YOUR NEIGHBORS HAD TO SAY IN PAST TRI-CITIES TALKS.