Valley Forge outlines plans for new charter school in Radnor
RADNOR >> There could be a new option on the Main Line over giving parents more choice in where and how their students attend school.
Under a plan being considered, the Valley Forge Military Academy wants to add a charter school program that could eventually educate 500 students from Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties. But it would be up to the school board in Radnor to approve or deny the plan.
During a recent hearing in front of the board, officials from VFMA outlined their plans for the new school.
Colonel Stuart Helgeson, president of VFMA, said the school approaches the whole person’s development through five cornerstones: academic excellence, character development, personal motivation, physical development and leadership.
“We feel those five cornerstones and the military model is unique and can play a part for young people, both young men and women in grades six through 12 who can’t receive this type of education right now because it is a private school and because of the barriers to entry for some,” Helgeson said.
VFMA describes itself on its website as “... a college preparatory school for boys, offering middle school and high school. The College is a two-year institution for men and women and has been designated the Military College of Pennsylvania.”
VFMA was founded in 1928 with 115 students in the old Devon Park Hotel. When that first facility burned in 1929, they moved to their current site in Wayne – which was the former home of St. Luke’s Preparatory School.
One reason Helgeson cited as a need for a new school is that they’ve had many more people asking about coming to VFMA.
“So when we looked at the interest in the surrounding area, we came up with a military charter school that would be a day school,” Helgerson said. “We would use the same five cornerstones in the military model that we’ve been executing for 93 years. It would be a separate school. It would have a separate staff, a separate board, but it would still have the same process where young people come through. They would become part of something – a battalion in the Valley Forge Military Charter School. They would go through the process to become a cadet, and then they would be part of that battalion as they went to school and learn the same lessons that we’ve been teaching up at the academy and college.”
In the first year for the new school, they plan on having 100 students and after five years, 500 students. With 100 acres of property, Helgerson said they have enough space for the new program.
Eric Saul, CFO for VFMA, said year one expenses would total about $2.199 million. They have plans for 11 teachers in the first year.
A major criticism from the public school community and other critics toward charter schools is how the schools are funded. Unlike private schools where the parents generally pay the tuition, the student’s home district has to pay the tuition for the students. Those tuition costs vary greatly from district-todistrict.
According to a chart provided by VFMA, Haverford School District’s tuition, based on the 20192020 school year, would be $12,486 for a regular student and $34,562 for a student with special needs.
At the other end of his list, Lower Merion, based on the 2020-2021 school year, would pay $21,100 and $48,198. Based on the 20182019 school year, Radnor’s rate would be $17,312 and $41,726.
School district officials and other critics say tuition money drains resources from those home school districts. Supporters of charter schools say it gives parents in failing districts an opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Paul Lea, dean at VFMA, said the new charter school would use the same goals as the current VFMA school to create a structured environment with measured roles for students to achieve to the next rank structure that allows them to compete and excel with their best capabilities.
Lauren Wochok, assistant dean at VFMA, said personal motivation would be part of the curriculum.
“The progressive curriculum will be designed for each student based on his credit requirements but as well as being able to give them some individual direction,” Wochok said.
Wochok said extra reinforcement would be available to students. On the other hand, students able to jump ahead will have that opportunity.
Student goals will be measured through their work with the guidance counselors, course audits, and a road map for student success.
They also plan to give the students the opportunity to develop a well-rounded education with non-academic goals. These goals will include community service requirements, student athletics and building good leadership qualities. They also plan to have a strong extracurricular program with clubs such as STEM, robotics, chess club and others.
VFMA’s presentation was a little over an hour long, so the board only listened to the plans. A second meeting will be scheduled at a later date for the board’s discussion and input from residents.
Michael Kristofco, the district’s private solicitor from the law firm Wisler Pearlstine, LLP of Blue Bell, said under state law a public hearing must be held within 45 days of receiving an application. The district cannot decide until at least 45 days after the hearing, but before 75 days.
“Board President Susan Stern clarified during the March 24 meeting that the proceeding was not to be adversarial, but rather an opportunity for the Board and administration to learn about VFMA’s application. She added that the Board and administration are entering into this process with an open mind and a mind toward gathering information, and that no decisions have been made,” according to a statement released by the district March 28 as a follow-up to the hearing.
Public comments on the plan can still be made through email at rtsd.org or through the next meeting that has not yet been scheduled.