[May 21, 2013] School board members tell charter school to show more diversity Tweet May 21, 2013 (The Leader-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Eau Claire school board continued to mull a contract extension for the district's only charter school, with some board members saying Chippewa Valley Montessori Charter School should do more to diversify its enrollment. Dating back to last year, district administration has been in talks with Chippewa Valley Montessori's governing board about changes the school board would like to see in the charter school before it approves an extension, including creating more diversity. "We need to hear you're serving a relatively similar group of kids, you're spending a relatively similar amount of money, and you're getting better results," school board member Trish Cummins said. She noted the school has done well academically but serves a lower percentage of poor, minority and disabled students than other schools in the district. Chippewa Valley Montessori, like other public charter schools in Wisconsin, has a governing board and uses a different curriculum than the rest of the district's schools. The Eau Claire school district provides funding to the school and can exercise oversight through its contract with the school and the school cannot operate without the contract. The board took no action Monday. The board is looking to approve a contract extension for the school before the end of June, when the official school year ends. Cummins said the board wants a Montessori school but needs to provide thorough oversight. Carol Craig, school board president, said this is the most oversight the school district has given Chippewa Valley Montessori in recent years. "This is the first time the board has gone through this with such diligence," Craig said, as the school board combed through a contract extension proposed by Chippewa Valley Montessori's governing board. Craig said changes board members asked for would be incorporated into the proposed contract extension and brought back to the next meeting. School board member Chris Hambuch-Boyle said she'd like to see Chippewa Valley Montessori teachers share more of their techniques with other teachers in the district. Cummins also questioned whether Chippewa Valley Montessori was growing too fast, after Deputy superintendent Tim Leibham noted the school was growing faster than the district as a whole. Montessori schools use different methods of instruction than traditional schools, often giving more autonomy to students. Swedien can be reached at 715-833-9214, 800-236-7077 or [email protected]. ___ (c)2013 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]