Proponents of a Ho-Chunk Nation charter school were asked to create a proposal for the school during a meeting of the Black River Falls School Board's Curriculum and Instruction Committee Feb. 7.

"We are at a point right now where we would like to see what the proposal is," Black River Falls director of curriculum and instruction Sherri Torkelson said at the onset of the meeting.

At the conclusion of the meeting, more than two hours later, committee members were told a proposal could come as early as March.

"What do you need (in a proposal)," Sid Lewis, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and Greenwood resident, asked Torkelson.

"It needs to be laid out enough that the board can start to react to it," Torkelson replied.

Plans

Torkelson, Lewis, and members of the committee were joined at the meeting by Forrest Funmaker, the Ho-Chunk Nation's Executive Director of Education; and representatives of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Early in the meeting, Funmaker explained a charter school that would service kindergarten through fourth grade students has been considered, as has a Montessori model.

Funmaker said a middle school charter school has also been discussed.

"It's where we see a lot of our children disengage from the public school experience," he said.

Funmaker explained one of the goals of the charter school would be to immerse its students in the Ho-Chunk nation language and culture.

"We are in the last stage of the preservation of our society," Funmaker said. "We need speakers."

Torkelson in turn asked what the overall plan for the Ho-Chunk nation was.

"The first plan is to get the kindergarten through fourth grade program off the ground," Funmaker said.

"What do you have on paper that you can share with us?" committee member Lois Corey asked.

Funmaker replied he did not have a contract completed.

"I didn't think that was what this meeting was about," he said.

Bob Soldner, School Management Services Director, advised parties interested in forming a charter school typically apply for a planning grant after "a couple of years" of planning.

"You need to do a lot of good, hard work before you even come in for a planning grant," Soldner said.

Details

Funmaker noted the Ho-Chunk nation hopes to implement a charter school that will act as a non-instrumentality, rather than an instrumentality.

Black River Falls High School Assistant Principal Tom Chambers asked the representatives of the DPI what the differences between a non-instrumentality and an instrumentality.

"The largest difference is the fact a non-instrumentality has no employees that are employees of the school district," Soldner replied. "That truly is the difference."

While the intent of the charter school would be to focus on Native American students, it would be open to all students, Funmaker said.

"All we are here for is to create an avenue for an opportunity to help students," Lewis said.

Funding

Lewis told the Black River Falls School Board during a meeting in December that grants are available from the Wisconsin Department Public of Instruction that could aid in the costs of the charter school.

Up to $10,000 can be awarded in the form of a planning grant and up to $150,000 in the form of an implementation grant, Lewis explained.

While grants aid in the cost, some costs could also be incurred by the school district.

Lewis was disappointed cost was discussed during the Feb. 7 meeting.

Lewis said the discussion should be focused on "what is best for kids," not funds.

"How can we possibly ignore it?" Corey replied.

"If we are going to let financing kill the discussion, we might as well all get up and leave," said Barry Goldman, DPI representative said.

Ultimately, no one left the meeting.

Lewis shared his thoughts regarding the question at hand.

"We should be asking not how much money is the district going to lose, but how much are the district's children going to gain?" he said.

"I agree," Chambers said. "That is why we are all here."