This post is in regard to the CDA Press News Article on the subdivision amendments. You can read the article by clicking here.
“But the charter school and the Lakeland Joint School District are at odds because Lakeland thinks the land at Hayden Canyon should be reserved for a public school.”
The land at Hayden Canyon is reserved for a public school and Hayden Canyon Charter IS a public school. Lakeland has not publicly expressed why they are opposed to the amendment which would allow the land Hayden Canyon Charter will be built on to be donated to the IFC instead of the City of Hayden, only that they are opposed. With this amendment, IFC would then be able to facilitate agreements with HCC and other entities for rental of portables as well as for the financing and building of the brick and mortar.
“Brian Wallace, Lakeland chief financial officer, said the district believes that under an old agreement the acreage assigned to the charter school was supposed to be used by the Lakeland district for a magnet school.”
This is actually referring to the MOU which was signed by both Lakeland and HCC when Lakeland agreed to authorize HCC as a charter school. Brian Wallace stated that under the agreement, HCC was to BECOME a magnet school of Lakeland school district after 5 years, which HCC later informed Lakeland that they would not or could not fulfill that part of the agreement. What he neglected to say is that the reason HCC cannot fulfill that part of the agreement is because HCC discovered that the MOU and agreement to become a magnet school is ILLEGAL. A charter school cannot become a magnet school of a district according to Idaho State Law. Neither Lakeland nor HCC can legally fulfill that part of the agreement.
“In addition, Wallace said, the district, which must approve the charter school because it lies within the boundaries of the Lakeland district, is opposed to having the charter school operate on land it doesn’t own.”
Lakeland did not have to be the authorizer of Hayden Canyon Charter, they chose to be our authorizer. Brian Wallace was stating that as our authorizer, they are legally bound to follow the charter certificate and allow the school to open even if they are opposed to it opening.
“The land for the Hayden Canyon school would be owned by the Institute for Community, a faith-based land company that invests in schools.”
This sentence should have started with, “If this amendment passes”. This would allow the land HCC will be built on to be donated to IFC instead of the City of Hayden. And the school name should have been properly listed here as “Hayden Canyon Charter” not “the Hayden Canyon school.”