WMEP considers giving up school ownership

The beleaguered West Metro Education Program (WMEP) is considering getting out of the business of running schools.

District leaders are looking at giving over ownership of the Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Resource (FAIR) School's two campuses to Minneapolis public schools and Robbinsdale Area Schools. Another option includes turning over management to one of the districts that are part of the program.

School officials are stressing that both plans call for the two campuses to remain open.

"Everyone at the table wants the schools to continue," WMEP Superintendent Keith Lester told FAIR School parents on Friday. "What would change would be the behind-the-scenes management of the schools."

The move is being driven by rising maintenance costs and a sense among WMEP board members that its once highly touted school concept has strayed from its original mission to offer an innovative, racially balanced learning environment for its 11 member school districts.

The district operates a fourth- to eighth-grade school in Crystal and a downtown Minneapolis campus for students in kindergarten through third grade and sixth through 12th grades. Together, the two campuses serve about 1,000 students.

In recent years, the program has also been beset by administrative turmoil involving its former superintendent and principal and mounting complaints from parents.

Originally, backers envisioned FAIR campuses to be places where teachers from member districts could go and learn innovative teaching strategies and take them back to their own schools.

But that has never really happened in 14 years, Lester said, prompting many districts to question the value of the concept.

Minneapolis Public Schools has threatened to leave WMEP several times in recent years, saying the schools are failing to live up to their initial expectations.

Under a scenario that appears to have the strongest support among WMEP's member districts, Minneapolis would assume ownership of the FAIR School's downtown campus, while Robbinsdale would inherit the Crystal campus. Supporters of that proposal say it would allow FAIR to tap into a larger network of staff, increased funding, greater curriculum resources, and more money for building maintenance costs.

When asked what they may do with the FAIR schools, both Minneapolis and Robbinsdale districts issued statements that didn't divulge many details.

WMEP would need legislative approval to give the campuses to the two districts. Any proceeds from the sale of the buildings would go the state.

Another option is having one of its member school districts manage the program.

Helen Bassett, WMEP's chairwoman, is pushing for Robbinsdale to manage FAIR with the continued oversight from their board.

"Robbinsdale is uniquely positioned to manage FAIR," said Bassett, who also serves on the Robbinsdale school board. "We have done great work around equity and our superintendent Aldo Siccoli has been nationally recognized for his commitment to equity."

In coming weeks, FAIR school parents and students will get plenty of chances to weigh in on the two options being considered. The board will discuss the issue on Jan. 14 and a final decision is expected Feb. 11.

"My goal is that we're providing a better education than we are now, and I think we're providing a good one, and would support which ever option gets us there," Lester said.