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FORT HUACHUCA — “There are technical and legislative complications,” said Arizona Senate President Tim Bee regarding the effort to re-structure the Fort Huachuca Accommodation Schools. “We have staff working daily to develop a solution.”
Bee and Rep. Jennifer Burns are among the roughly 15 legislators and educational agency representatives who met in Phoenix the end of last month with Trudy Berry, governing board of the Fort Huachuca Accommodation District, and Ronda Frueauff, the district’s superintendent. They were accompanied by Col. Melissa Sturgeon, garrison commander of the post.
Informed by the auditor general last fall that under state law the Fort Huachuca Accommodation District was improperly using its federal impact aid, the goal of the meeting was to gather facts and input from as many of the involved parties as possible to devise a possible new future for the three schools that serve approximately 1,000 students in grades K-8.
“There was someone from the Charter School Board, from the Arizona Department of Education Finance office, lots of educational expertise,” Berry said. “There was someone to answer or agree to look into any question that came up.”
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The crux of Fort Huachuca Accommodation District’s problem is that money it receives from Washington, D.C., for its service to the children of military families has squared off with the state’s constitution that limits the revenue school districts may spend and on what they may spend it. The schools on post are subject to state law and receive state aid.
Traditionally, the Fort Huachuca Accommodation District had treated its federal impact aid as it would grant money, calling it a “Special Projects Fund,” permitting special programs for children, low student-teacher ratios and salaries that are the highest in Cochise County.
While the district routinely gets a clean bill of financial health from independent auditors, Phoenix has told them “no more” — they must now accept restrictions and follow the same rules as all schools in Arizona. They may use a small portion of the federal funds the way other districts use override money — for maintenance and operations — but the rest must go into the capital account.
The district’s new Gen. Myer Elementary School opened last year, and the new Col. Johnston Elementary is scheduled to open next fall.
In addition, the state intends for the district to “repay” what it considers overexpenditures in the past two years by subtracting that amount from next year’s state funds.
“We’re pursuing multiple paths at once,” Burns said. “All options are still on the table. The goal is to protect the students and teachers and parents. This is important for all of them.”
One option under review is the “re-establishment” of the schools as charter schools with the garrison as the potential charter holder.
According to state law, charter schools are not subject to the revenue control budget limits.
“No one seems quite sure if this has ever been done before,” Frueauff said.
As the governing board of an existing district, Berry could sponsor a charter school.
“There are models out there,” she said. “For example, the Benson public school district has a charter school. I’m gathering information from others who’ve done this.”
But there are questions and issues unique to Army installations to which no one yet seems to have an answer, although Sturgeon’s presence at the Phoenix meeting suggests that there is interest in the military community here in having schools on post that would open up their governance to a military board — appointed by the garrison — that would hold the charter.
The Department of Defense Education Activity is not an option. While DoDEA operates 154 schools around the world for military and civilian dependents, the “domestic” division has been reducing its direct involvement with school operations, promoting partnerships with local schools. Currently, DoDEA schools operate in only seven states.
Berry and Frueauff, who have pored over the relevant statutes, seem convinced that “charter” is the way to go.
“Consolidation with another district would be a last resort,” Berry said.
Meanwhile, back in Phoenix, the legislators have yet to arrive at a recommendation.
“There are complexities to all options,” Burns said. “We’re trying to find one that has the best impact on the district. We’re learning as we go.”
Additionally, Berry and Frueauff are hoping for legislation that at minimum would extend the time frame for its “repayment” of overexpenditures or perhaps even “call it a wash,” in light of other calculations that show the state may have underfunded the fort schools for at least six years, possibly starting as early as 1992.
“We’d like to work it out in this legislative session,” Bee said.
Progress might be complicated by the fact that last year special legislation had to be sponsored for five school districts and there were 29 other districts that “presented” with spending problems and mismanagement.
“This is clearly not that problem,” Bee said. “But when we’re trying to sell this, we have to be able to make that distinction.”
Sturgeon said the fort and district are working the issue with state and county authorities, as well as the fort’s “higher headquarters.”
“One option we are researching is a charter school arrangement,” Sturgeon said. “We have not yet determined whether the charter approach is the right option or if the garrison can indeed hold the charter. As we know more, we will make information available to the public.”
Asked to comment, former garrison commander Larry Portouw, now president of the Fort Huachuca 50, said, “You just don’t want to get surprised by unintended consequences.”
REPORTER Cindy Skalsky can be reached at 515-4611 or by e-mail at cindy.skalsky@svherald.com.
tpr888868@cox.net wrote on Dec 16, 2007 5:41 PM: