Historic building could be a school again
5:06 p.m. Thursday, December 21, 2006
Charter schools will be added to the Topeka School District if some former administrators have their way. An historical Topeka school could once again be filled with students.
"I'd like to see us make this happen," pleaded former school administrator Sandy Lassiter.
She is asking the 501 School Board to bring additional charter schools into the district. Currently Hope Street Academy is the only charter school in the Topeka district.
"Some of you said want you to preserve the building," said Lassiter. "I want to preserve the children."
She is hoping to use a historic building to house a charter school for elementary children. The Sumner School was involved in the historic Brown versus Board case, where the family of student Linda Brown successfully sued the school district, bringing an end to segregation. The building is currently owned by the City and sits vacant.
"We are looking at a historical statement, saying one hundred years later this school is for diverse students," said Lassiter.
The building was built in the late 1800s as a school for black children. It wasn't until 1901 that it became a school exclusively for white children.
Lassiter is hoping to use the building to help at-risk students get back on track.
"We want to accommodate that one percent of those children that are not making it and take it back to basics," said Lassiter.
Betty Horton is also a former administrator. She has secured a $10 millionfederal grant to be used as start up money for charter schools. Horton wants to use a portion of the funds to head up a middle school academy.
"At the middle school level, we know that it is the gateway to dropout or high school and beyond," said Horton.
The School Board vice president expressed concerns about funding and said the Board needs to take a closer look before making a final decision.
"We'll sit down and look at it very closely and see if we can or should do it," says Cheri Barrington.
The board has until February first to approve the charter school proposal.
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