I strongly agree with the main point of the Herald editorial (Feb. 2) supporting the School District 9-R board decision to not expedite the review of Ascent Academy’s charter school application by passing it to the state. That process should definitely be under local control. But I do not agree when the editorial suggests that Ascent’s intentions are unclear. While it is true that local promoters have not been upfront with these details, a bit of research reveals what is coming our way.
Ascent Academy and its ideological progenitor, Hillsdale College, are darlings of the conservative right. They describe themselves as “nonsectarian Christian.” They are constitutional “originalists” who disdain widely-popular social programs from the New Deal to Obamacare. They are hostile toward race and gender equality. And perhaps most important for the impending charter application review, they want to be “unfettered” by government mandates.
Hillsdale College avoids outside regulations by remaining fully private, forgoing any federal or state funds. That’s entirely appropriate and proper. But Ascent wants to have it both ways – full public funding, but little or no compliance with local and state policies and regulations. For example, when Ascent requested a charter from the Boulder Valley School District in 2019, the application sought waivers from 401 of 419 district policies without offering reasons or replacement plans. That does not sound like an education-focused group working within the system to provide expanded choice. Rather, it sounds like conservative political activists that want to nonetheless feed at the public trough.
Tim Schaldach
Durango
