Two bills headed to the Illinois Senate for review stand to have a big impact on Elgin Math and Science Academy if approved.
One sponsored by Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin, would transfer oversight of EMSA and other state-run charter schools to local school boards.
The other, submitted by Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, would require charter school operators to execute renewal agreements within 90 days of approval and establish stronger financial safeguards to ensure students, staff and public resources are protected should a charter school close.
Both were approved by the Senate’s Executive Committee earlier this month and now await full Senate consideration.
Elgin Math and Science Academy Executive Director Kathryn Martinez said her school doesn’t support either measure. Were Castro’s legislation in place when they launched their effort to open a new charter school in 2017, EMSA would not exist today, she said.
“It is critical that charter schools have an option to appeal the local school district’s decision and there is a statewide authorizer,” Martinez said. “Without these options, EMSA would not have opened eight years ago and would not be the thriving environment that we are today.”
In October 2017, the Illinois State Charter School Commission reversed School District U46’s rejection of the proposed Elgin Math and Science Academy. When the commission was abolished in 2020, existing charter schools were placed under the authority of the Illinois State Board of Education.
According to Castro’s website, most charter schools in the state are locally authorized, and they apply directly for authorization with their local school boards. EMSA is one of only nine state-run charter schools.
“Senate Bill 4040 was brought to me by the Illinois State Board of Education,” Castro said. “Illinois is a local control state in terms of educational decision-making, but there is currently no way for local school boards to have a seat at the table regarding decisions about state-authorized charter schools in their districts.”
Castro said her legislation is not designed to close any of the existing charter schools but to return oversight powers to the local school districts where they are located. Her proposal would benefit communities by improving school board relations with the state-authorized charter schools, she said.
“Students need advocates who can represent their needs. When the leaders making decisions about our students’ education live in the communities they represent and have their ears to the ground, it benefits everyone,” Castro said.
After speaking with officials from Elgin-based School District U-46, it’s clear the administration would be willing to taking on the role of managing the charter school, she said.
Martinez disagrees that EMSA or its students and families would benefit from either piece of legislation.
“Both bills would disproportionately impact schools serving predominantly students of color and low-income communities, where families are most at risk of losing access to high-quality public school options,” she said.
As for Villanueva’s bill, Martinez said it would eliminate the time and ability to negotiate the terms of a charter contract. If charters do not sign the renewal agreements within 90 days, the charter school would be forced to close, she said.
“In addition, it forces already underfunded schools to maintain a closure security fund equal to three months of operating expenses, unlike other public schools, (and that) removes even more money out of classrooms,” Martinez said. “Charter schools are already required to maintain financial reserves. This therefore duplicates existing reserve expectations.”
U-46 spokesperson Tara Burghart declined to weigh in on the legislation since both are pending and could change.
The charter school has not had any formal conversations with U-46 officials about the bills, Martinez said, and Castro has not visited the campus, though she has been invited multiple times.
“The academy has worked hard to build relationships with U-46 and our local community,” she said. “We believe in being a strong community partner, and that remains critical to our mission.”
EMSA has an enrollment of 504 students in grades K-8, all of whom come from within the boundaries of District U-46, Martinez said. There are about 200 students on its waiting list and they’ve received more than 250 applications for the next academic year, she said. Students are chosen through a lottery.
Martinez said EMSA students are academically outperforming U-46 in English language arts proficiency and the state and the local district in terms of growth in ELA and math skills. Its third class of 8th-grade students will graduate this spring and 71% of them have been accepted into their first choice high school academy program, she said.
“As charters, we are already held to higher standards,” she said. “We must deliver a higher level of academic excellence as we are. We must operate with a greater level of financial transparency and we must be in compliance operationally.
“We also must attract and retain families. Contrary to what Sen. Castro has stated in regards to accountability for charter schools, we exchange this greater accountability for greater autonomy so that we can better meet the needs of our students.”
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.