| ALPINE - Think
fighting city hall is tough? Try duking it out with city and state
lawmakers.
Some Alpine residents insist that's the task they face to stop
a charter school from coming to their neighborhood. If approved,
Mountainville Academy would bring 675 students to about seven
acres at 365 E. 100 South.
Martin Southwick, whose son was hit by a car 2 1/2 years ago on
100 South, says academy traffic would further endanger children.
He says stopping the school won't be easy because of conflict-of-interest
issues.
"It kind of stinks," said Southwick, one of dozens opposed
to the academy. "It feels like there is some sort of back-room
dealing to get this installed."
The problem is, he and others say, Councilman Thomas Whitchurch's
wife, Rebecca, is chief executive officer of the charter's board.
Mayor Hunt Willoughby's wife, Aniva, also is involved.
What's more, Rep. Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, is the
contractor and Rep. Jim Ferrin, R-Orem, is the financier. Both
are vocal champions of charter schools in the Utah Legislature
and partners with former GOP state lawmaker Glenn Way, also of
Spanish Fork, in U.S. Charter Development.
"I don't think they should profit from legislation they helped
pass," said Southwick, who feels the same way about Thomas
Whitchurch having a vote on the issue.
Whitchurch, however, notes state law allows charter schools in
all zones. He said Alpine cannot stop a charter from coming but
can decide only if the developer has filed an appropriate site
plan. He insists he is entitled to vote on the site plan because
he and his wife won't make money from the decision.
City law, which is more restrictive than state law, bars council
members from voting when they stand to "realize substantial
financial gain." The only gain he and his wife would get,
he said, is greater choice for their children's education.
Still, he likely won't vote when the issue comes before the council
due to opponents' conflict-of-interest concerns. And Willoughby,
who votes only to break ties, does not think Whitchurch should
recuse himself.
"When you have a conflict of interest," the mayor said,
"you declare it. You're not hiding your bias; you're putting
it out front."
The mayor's wife is a Mountainville founding parent who is poised
to put in 1,000 volunteer hours there should they decide to enroll
their son there.
Alpine City Attorney David Church said opponents are mad at the
wrong people.
"They ought to be mad at the state Legislature," he
said. "There are a couple of state legislators who make a
living in the charter-school industry" and have taken away
city officials' ability to plan and zone their community. "They
basically have allowed charter schools to plan the community."
U.S. Charter Development has constructed four charter schools
thus far and has another four in the works. Rep. Morley says the
company is paying to build Mountainville and stands to lose a
lot of money if the school is not successful.
"The investors are the ones who take all the risk and stand
to lose that investment," Morley said.
Ferrin says he has helped enact laws to make it easier to build
charters but insists there's no conflict because the legislation
made it easier for everyone, not just him.
"Most of the people who complain about me [building] charter
schools are people opposed to charter schools in the first place,"
Ferrin said.
Alpine resident Susan Smith disagrees.
"What we object to is sleazy state legislators who
fill the public trough with their votes and then feed from it
in their professions," she said. "This is a textbook
example of why we need a two-party system in Utah. Republicans
have become too powerful and too arrogant. We need some checks
and balances."
Southwick's neighbor, Kelley Somer, prefers to pass on politics.
Safety is her concern.
"There will be a huge influx of traffic, and this town and
the streets can't manage it," she said. "Our children
walk to school."
Mountainville, which is scheduled to open this fall, will educate
kindergartners through eighth-graders. Board member Linda Seeley
said the curriculum will focus on academics, with an emphasis
on math and language arts. She said enrollment is almost full.
"The majority of grades have a waiting list," she said.
Charter schools are alternative, taxpayer-funded public schools
that depend on public money - the $2,280 the state allots for
each student - to pay their bills. Private firms typically line
up investors to pay for construction. Once the schools open, administrators
tap diverted taxpayer money to make lease payments on the buildings.
meddington@sltrib.com
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