Escambia Schools feel state pressure to lock down charter contract for Warrington Middle

Escambia County Superintendent Tim Smith felt the heat from the Florida State Board of Education Wednesday morning over Warrington Middle School’s turnaround status.

Florida Education Commissioner Many Diaz Jr. expressed frustration over not having a signed contract with Charter Schools USA, which was expected to be secured by May 1.

“Again, I am floored. The level of frustration,” Diaz Jr. said. “I apologize, Mr. Chair, but all I hear is excuses and I can’t reconcile that with 10 years of failure to these students and all I hear is excuses from adults at this point.”

The Escambia school board has faced several negotiation “sticking points” after a new set of demands were sent to the school district this month. One of the most difficult conditions for the board to swallow is eventually stripping away the school zones for the new charter and opening it up to all K-12 students in the district.

“We want to come to an agreement, but it is very hard for us when we’re talking about holding the middle school zone, a fundamental, critical concept,” Smith told the state board. “Because otherwise, it’s the same as closing or becoming a traditional charter. That’s not what this (discussion) has been for two years. That changed 15 days ago. That’s the conundrum that we’re facing. We like Charter Schools USA; we want to work with them. But we have to get an agreement, and that’s where we need help.”

Read the new terms causing the hold up: Closure back in play at Warrington Middle School after charter terms cause major concerns

Listen to the full meeting here: https://thefloridachannel.org/videos/3-22-23-board-of-education-2/

Escambia Board Chairman Paul Fetsko said he would feel better about signing a contract with Charter Schools USA if they submit an application laying out their plans for the school. Charter Schools USA has not submitted a formal application at this point.

Nevertheless, the state board feels that the school board is not in any position to be picky, claiming the children are the ones who are suffering in the idle time.

“Now you’re asking them (Charter Schools USA) to jump through a bureaucratic hoop of filling out an application? What’s the point of an application?” Florida Board of Education Vice Char Ryan Petty said. “I walked the (Warrington) hallways, I looked into the eyes of those kids. I sat in an eighth-grade math classroom where the algebra books that should have been part of teaching and learning that day were sitting on a shelf. I pointed them out to the commissioner while I sat and watched a teacher teach eighth-graders basic arithmetic. We have been failing these students for more than a decade. What I don’t hear from either of you is a sense of urgency. These kids deserve better. This school needs to be fixed. This board is out of patience with the Escambia County School District.”

Well-being of those students, however, is what is holding the district back from signing the contract. Charter School USA will not commit to accepting the current students into the school and their long-term plan is not to have a middle school but a K-12 school in which the charter hand-picks the students who attend.

“I don’t see another option that could be worse than what we have right now,” FDOE Board Member Esther Byrd echoed.

One option mulled in the community is to simply close the school and not offer it as a charter. If that is the case, the existing students would be bused to surrounding schools until the district reopens the school under a new name and new leadership.

A refresher on Warrington's history: Warrington Middle School scores 'D' grade; will close and reopen as a charter school

Fetsko said the school board’s intention is to reach an agreement with the charter company, but a plan is in place to bus the students to other schools in the district if the agreement falls through.

The bus ride would be about 15 to 20 minutes, which is not optimal, but possible, Fetsko stated. Still, they would like to find a way to make the agreement work.

Smith requested help from the state board in coming to an agreement, including creating a school that secures a place for Warrington children.

“My sense of urgency I think is actually rather clear that I took measures to get something going by contacting our senator. That’s (a) pretty unorthodox pathway, but I needed to do something because my sense of urgency was very much alive and well,” Smith said. “So, we want this. We’re not arguing, in fact, we’re not making any excuses. What we’re saying is we need help getting this agreement across the finish line.”

The issue may be back on the agenda for the State Board of Education’s May meeting for a follow-up presentation.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Warrington Middle school on Florida State Board of Education hot seat