FAQ's

Q: Why is opening a charter school good for LUSD?
A: Initially, the district explored a charter school in an effort to head off
projected declining enrollment. During declining enrollment, districts
oftentimes need to make significant cuts as revenues shrink. Charter
Schools, when sponsored by a school district have the potential to bring in
new students, thus establishing a new revenue source. Charter schools
are business enterprises that cover their own expenses. When revenues
exceed expenses, this total can have a positive effect on the total district
budget, thus potentially benefiting students outside the charter.

Q: What are the attendance boundaries for the charter school?
A: The charter school is open to all students who reside within Placer County
and the contiguous surrounding counties. No inter-district transfer
agreement is necessary.

Q: How does the charter school help declining enrollment in the LUSD if some of the students are coming from the existing schools?
A: When students within the LUSD transfer into the charter, the district
maintains the same funding amount per student and no new funding
dollars are brought into the district. Students who come into the charter
from outside the area bring in new revenue into the district. The charter
will be self-sustaining financially as long as new funding dollars are
brought into the charter from outside the district.

Q: Why should we talk about IB curriculum in an open forum before it is infused into the LUSD district?
A: The forum is an effort to communicate more information on the IB program
and share with parents the intention of infusing parts of the IB program
into all district schools. Additional informational meetings will be held to
provide parents with information about the IB curriculum and teaching
methodology.

Q: Where are we in the registration/app process and when will it
become an IB school?
A:IB schools are required to operate for three full years before they are fully accredited. Following, a certification by national IB officials, the school will be fully
accredited IB school. LBCS plans to be fully accredited by the fall of 2011.

Q: In your professional opinion would you like to see the entire school district turn over to this curriculum in the next ten years?
A: There are definite parts of the IB curriculum that LUSD would like to see
offered in all schools. As far as transitioning schools to full IB status, that
would be a decision for the individual school site staffs and LUSD school
board.

Q: Do the teachers get accredited or just the school?
A: The school alone, but the teachers are required to go through specific IB
training.

Q: Are assessment scores generally higher at the IB school?
A: It solely depends on the degree to which the school has implemented the
full IB instructional strategies. There are IB Schools with lower
achievement results and those with high achievement.

Q: As you hire staff and accept enrollment is there a student/teacher
ratio you are aiming for?
A: Initial plans call for 20 to 1 primary and 25 to 1 in grades 4-8.

Q: Can you describe international benchmarking in writing?
A: IB schools use an international writing assessment guide (rubric) that is an
evaluation tool for writing. The benchmarks are considered a form of
grading standards. Students across the world in IB programs use these
grading standards.

Q: What, where and how extensive is the teacher training?
A: A four day training is initially provided at locations across the country and
teachers are required to undergo intensive IB training on a yearly basis as
part of their employment at the charter school. In the training, teachers
learn how to create their own classroom lessons using the IB instructional
strategies.

Q: If a teacher from LUSD wants to go to the charter would you
encourage them to go or stay?
A: The LUSD does not want to deplete the ranks of effective district teachers
and will not be filling the entire school with LUSD teachers. LBCS will
recruit for the most part outside the school district.

Q: Have you thought about sports?
A: The LBCS Alliance will address the areas of sports and what types of
programs will be offered. The offering of a sports program will depend on
the student and family interest.

Q: You mentioned technology, how will this school start out? Will it be
bare-bones?
A: The school will utilize technology as an important part of the curriculum
design and the IB’s inquiry-based research oriented program. It may be
necessary for the school to hold a Spring/Summer fund-raiser to help
purchase computers

Q: I am a money guy, I see grants, etc, coming to this charter. I am from Penryn. We need paint at our school. Why can’t Penryn get these
grants? Why are we starting a new school when we can’t fix our
existing schools. Measure G is adding taxes.
A: Every public school in California, including charter schools, receives block
grants. This grant is not particular to the charter school. The charter
school funds are separate than facility funds. Dollars generated from
passage of Measure G can only be spent on the projects approved by
voters. The charter school is a business enterprise. The charter brings in funding that, in the end can improve the overall budget balances of the LSUD
general fund. In addition, the LUSD will receive 3% of the charter school
revenue for providing oversight and fiscal assistance. The charter may
also contract with LUSD for additional services like special education,
speech, PE, and music. The charter will be self-sustaining and pay for all
expenses.

Q: Do LUSD students who leave take funding away from the regular
school?
A: Students who leave LUSD will not take the state funding away from LUSD
because the district is sponsoring the charter.

Q: Economies of scale – doesn’t it eventually make the local LUSD
schools lose money when a student leaves?
A: The LUSD is responsible for distributing money to the individual school
sites. The state is not the enterprise that passes along funding. Rather,
the district receives a lump sum of funding and then the total is divided up
by the district and disseminated to schools. It is projected that the impact
on site budgets would be negligible.

Q: There is so much that you have to cover for the standardized tests,
how do you cover that material and still cover the inquiry-based
program?
A: The textbooks used cover the state standards. Teachers take the
curriculum to the next level by adding inquiry-based lessons.

Q: At the Rocklin Academy you see parents everywhere and that is who really runs the school. What are LBSC plans?
A: Charters are very different. Some schools don’t have custodians,
traditional secretaries, or a lunch program. It is definitely a different type
of structured program. Parents will not run the school, but will be required
to donate 30 hours of volunteer work during the school year. In addition,
the LBCS Alliance will actively play a role in developing and implementing
the LBCS program.

Q: What did you see at Rocklin Academy that you didn’t like and what
did you like?
A: We liked the CORE knowledge program that we observed. The IB
program has its own unique elements such as higher level thinking
components, character education, community service, foreign language,
etc.

Q: If my children are accepted to the charter and we change our mind,
what are the consequences? Will they be able to re-enroll at their
home district school?
A: The LBCS will ask families to commit in the early Spring. At that time, the
LBCS will contact the home school to request records.

Q: Will siblings be automatically accepted?
A: Siblings will be given priority registration if there is a vacancy at a
particular grade level.

Q: Will you be offering Resource Services for those with learning
problems?
A: Yes, resource services will be offered for students with identified learning
disabilities.

Q: Since this school will be in the development stages, when would the IB program be fully implemented? What about the second foreign
language and the implementation timeline with IB?
A: Upon full accreditation, the school’s IB program will be fully operational in
all areas. The second foreign language is not a requirement for IB
schools. Rather, it is a choice of LBCS to offer an additional language. It
is anticipated during the first year of operation that Spanish will be offered,
followed by a second language during the 2010-2011 school year.

Q: Is this going to be a K-12 school?
A: No, the LBCS will be a K-4 school to begin with, adding a grade level each year until we are a K-8 school.

Q: Can you speak about homework expectations?
A: Students will be expected to do nightly homework; however, the
homework will not be excessive

Q: Will the teachers be accredited?
A: Yes, all teachers will have California teaching credentials.

Q: With regard to IB, which “student profiles” will be the best match?
A: All IB learner profiles will be implemented at the charter school. When
the district re-evaluates the strategic plan for this next year, the IB
instructional strategies and learner profiles will be closely analyzed and
considered for future inclusion in the strategic plan.

Q: I suggest seeing Bowman School’s (Auburn) new building and
finding out where they got the money to pay for it. (Bowman is
Charter.)
A: Bowman Charter School in Auburn did not receive charter funds from the
State to build the new building.

Q: Will there be available state funds to help the charter school get
started?
A: The LBCS is hoping to apply for a $400,000 start-up charter
implementation grant.

Q: Can students get back in their original district school as back-up if
things don’t work out?
A: If a student enrolls at a particular grade level, and the class is not opened
(i.e. 7th or 8th), they will hold a spot at their original district school

Q: If there is not enough interest for sports, can students participate on
another Loomis School teams?
A: If there is not an interest for sports at the charter school, students will not
be able to participate on other Loomis school teams.

Q: You mentioned using temporary classrooms for the school site.
What is the long-term plan for the school location? Is there ever
going to be funding for a new school or to purchase a more
permanent location?
A: The school will most likely begin with the use of portables. The long-term
plan would call for erecting permanent buildings. In that case, the charter
would look for specialized charter funding from the state that was devoted
to construction.

Q: This sounds logical and sounds like it could and should be
incorporated into all classrooms and schools. So, what hinders
public schools from doing this? What are the hurdles and
obstacles? Why do we have to have charter schools to do this?
A: Actually, nothing would prevent other schools from following suit and
converting to IB status. In one district the LUSD researched, at least 3-5
other district schools converted to IB schools after the first IB school was a
success. In this particular district, all the schools were non-charter
schools.

Q: Will these teachers be bargained?
A: No

Q: Will there be a tenure system?
A: No

Q: How will teachers be held accountable?
A: Teachers will write annual goals and objectives and be evaluated by the
charter director. At the center of the evaluation process will be the IB
program delivery model.

Q: Why don’t public schools hire teachers to be this way?
A: In most cases, teachers are hired right out of university student teaching
programs or from other schools where they have taught. Administrators
look for the teacher that is enthusiastic, has a rapport with students,
demonstrates effective teaching skills, and has a thirst for excellence,

Q: Will there be after school care available?
A: Yes. The STAR program is available on the Franklin School Campus and LBCS students are welcome to attend. See the STAR website at http://www.starsacramento.org