New charter school with controversial curriculum could be coming to State College

A proposed charter school with curriculum from the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan is in the early planning stages in the State College area.

Four parents, including former State College Area school board candidate Michelle Young, held an informational meeting for the “Nittany Mountain Classical Academy” Tuesday night at Boalsburg Fire Hall to explain the charter process and test community support. Nearly 30 parents and community members attended, including former candidates for State College Area school board Barry Fenchek and Megan Layng, and former board member Laurel Zydney.

“Having talked to a lot of folks over the last four years and being in contact with a significant number of parents within just the State College school district, I think there has been a real interest and need for alternatives,” Young said. “And Hillsdale, this charter school would be an alternative.”

Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian College, has expanded its network of charter schools in recent years, often causing political battles in communities where schools are proposed. Its 1776 Curriculum includes an emphasis on American exceptionalism, with critics saying it downplays racism and is politically motivated.

Charter schools in the program are not owned or managed by the college and Mark Parfitt, one of the organizers who presented during the meeting, emphasized that the charter has no affiliation or agreement with Hillsdale at this time.

The charter’s long-term plan is to open for K-12 for all Centre County students, but for the first year, it’s likely that only a few grade levels would be offered.

“We believe the greatest community demand is in the secondary side of education, so 6-12,” Parfitt said.

Parfitt could not say where the charter would be located but has been in talks with local property owners to look at short-term and long-term leases. They’re looking to establish the charter within State College Area School District, but once established, they could file a charter in other Centre County districts to act as a regional charter.

For a new charter school to be established in Pennsylvania, a charter must offer something other charter schools or public schools in the area cannot. Parfitt argues that Hillsdale’s curriculum focus on civics and Western-focused classical education is something that cannot be found in other area schools. The new charter school would appeal to families within SCASD who are searching for an alternative, as well as home-school and cyber charter students, Parfitt said.

“SCASD, to their credit, does a really good job serving the top and the bottom academically,” Parfitt said. “So if you excel at SCASD they really take care of you. If you need a lot of extra assistance, they take care of you. The middle–your average student at SCASD? It’s sink or swim.”

Hillsdale College charter program

To apply to be a Hillsdale College Member School, a charter board must establish a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, raise $10,000 and show strong community support for a new charter.

Parfitt said becoming part of the Hillsdale program could cut the charter establishment process by several years, but that isn’t the only appeal. The Hillsdale curriculum would be unique in the State College area and provide something other charters and public schools in the area do not, he said.

According to the Hillsdale website, the classical education curriculum focuses on the “centrality of the Western tradition in the study of history, literature, philosophy, and the fine arts.” If accepted to the program, the Nittany Mountain Classical Academy organizers would have to work with Hillsdale College to adjust the curriculum to fit Pennsylvania state standards.

“So if we get accepted, that’s where we get into the nitty-gritty and rework the curriculum,” Parfitt said. “I mean, obviously, to participate in the program, we have to work within their framework. But one thing that I do stress is the board — the governance for the charter school is a local board.”

Nittany Mountain wouldn’t be the first Hillsdale College charter program working to get established in Pennsylvania. In January, West Chester Area School District denied the Valley Forge Classical Academy’s charter application for the second time, leaving the charter with no option but the state’s charter appeal board.

In Bucks County, 1776 Curriculum used by Hillsdale and introduced in Pennridge School District last year led to protests and widespread criticism from parents and teachers.

Charter approval process

The State College area has several brick-and-mortar and cyber charters, including Young Scholars of Central PA serving students from K-8, Centre Learning Community serving grades 5-8, and PA Cyber Charter.

Charter schools are independently run but funded through public school districts. For every student that enrolls in a charter school, their home district sends the per-student tuition to the charter school, minus some transportation and maintenance costs.

This method of charter school funding has drawn criticisms from educators across Pennsylvania for “stranded costs,” the difference between the charter tuition payment per student and the amount of money a district saves when a student leaves. These “stranded costs” can be thousands of dollars depending on the district’s per-student spending and charter growth.

Educators across the state and in Centre County have lobbied for charter reform. In 2021, all Centre County school boards passed a joint resolution calling for a new funding formula to calculate charter tuition payments.

When a new charter school wants to open, founders apply to the home school district where it’s located and the district decides whether to grant the charter. If the district rejects the charter, the charter can go to the Charter Appeals Board, which can overturn the district decision and grant the charter.

Parfitt expects that the State College Area school board would deny the charter.

“We expect them to deny charter schools,” Parfitt said. “We’ve baked that into the plan. If they say yes, that’s great, that would be awesome news. But we’re pretty convinced they will deny it twice. So our entire process is going to be built with charter school appeal boards in mind.”

From 2021 to August 2023, the appeal board issued 12 charter decisions, siding with the charters only twice, according to reporting from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

While State College Area School District declined to comment, board president Amy Bader said the school board would follow the charter process as outlined by Pennsylvania law.

“The school board takes its responsibility of oversight very seriously and, like any other issue, would thoroughly evaluate any charter application and follow the law,” Bader wrote in an email to the CDT.

Next steps

Parfitt cautioned that the charter process would likely take several years and would need both financial and volunteer support throughout. During the meeting, organizers including Young and Parfitt encouraged attendees to spread the word about the charter as well as contact them for volunteer positions.

He said it was unlikely the group would host another public meeting until September once the group knows the status of the Hillsdale charter program application but would continue to post updates on the Nittany Mountain Classical Academy website.

“Every single person counts…” Parfit said. “Everybody might have a unique reason for participating. But we’re trying to be as inclusive as we can and we welcome every talent we can bring into this operation.”