YOUNGSTOWN Agreement lets Legacy operate

Legacy will have to find a new sponsor for next school year.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Legacy Academy charter school will continue operating through the end of this academic year under an agreement approved by the city school board.
The board voted Tuesday to settle its lawsuit against Legacy, a charter school that opened on the city's South Side in October.
"For the benefit of the students, I certainly supported a need to settle this because, without a charter, the students at Legacy were in danger of not receiving any [academic] credit this year," Youngstown schools Superintendent Ben McGee said.
"That's really what drove this settlement. All parties, for the benefit and good of the 168 children right now who are at Legacy decided that this was the best thing to do."
Background: Last summer, the Lucas County Educational Service Center in Toledo approved a charter school contract for Legacy to operate a school for children in kindergarten through 10th grade at Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church in Youngstown.
In December, the city school board filed a lawsuit contending that Lucas County ESC cannot sponsor a charter school outside Lucas County. The Ohio Department of Education agreed and withheld funds from Legacy. Legacy countersued.
Under the settlement brokered by the Ohio Attorney General's office, Lucas County ESC will be permitted to sponsor Legacy for this school year only and the state will resume funding. Legacy pupils will get full educational credit for this school year.
For next school year, Legacy must seek other sponsorship, including the state education department.
The settlement also says the Lucas County ESC will not sponsor any other charter schools outside Lucas County unless state law is changed authorizing such sponsorship.
Charter schools: Charter schools are privately operated, yet publicly funded schools that do not charge tuition and receive about $5,000 per pupil annually in state and local funds.
McGee said Youngstown will lose about $800,000 a year in combined state and local money, which will follow students to Legacy.
Under the agreement, Youngstown will keep $112,000 in start-up money that would have gone to Legacy, McGee said.