By Russell Contreras
Journal Staff Writer
A technology charter school pushed by Mayor Martin Chávez won approval Friday from the state's education secretary, who overturned the Albuquerque school board.
Education Secretary Veronica Garcia, at an appeal hearing, ruled that the Albuquerque school board must approve the MAST High School charter school, but with conditions. The school plans to emphasize math, science and technology and is looking for a Downtown site.
Board members had said they were concerned that the school would be run by the city.
Chávez is part of the group pushing for the school, but Robin Troup, the charter's founder, said Friday that the school will be run separately from the city.
One of Garcia's conditions means the school will open in August 2005 instead of in the coming year. She ordered it to conduct an additional year of planning and said it must agree to state monitoring and changes to its student disciplinary rules. It must also develop an independent board of trustees.
Both sides said they agreed with those conditions.
"I'm confident that we'll meet all the recommendations. Absolutely," Troup said.
APS attorney Art Melendres said the conditions "provide clarity" to the application.
Chávez, who had clashed with the APS board over the school, said he was "very pleased" about Garcia's decision.
"There are a lot of seventh-graders in Albuquerque who will now have some extraordinary opportunities in a year and a half," said Chávez, who was at the hearing.
APS has 30 days to approve the charter.
Mike Albers, head of the city's Office of Economic Development and a MAST supporter, said about $50,000 had been spent on MAST's application.
Garcia cautioned both parties that they have to work together in the coming months.
"I would like to remind the charter school that you are part of the Albuquerque Public Schools," Garcia said. "I'd also like to remind Albuquerque Public Schools that this is one of your schools."
Garcia pressed MAST to recruit students from all schools, not just the nearby Albuquerque High School.
After the ruling, Troup announced that MAST has been awarded a three-year $400,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The grant is meant to help high-tech schools mirror San Diego's High Tech High, a school of 400 students that focuses on technology.
Fourteen other schools receive Gates Foundation grants.
Troup said it was awarded on the condition that the charter was approved.
The charter's application said the school would be open to anyone eligible for public high school. A lottery would be used if the school receives too many applications.
Siblings of current students would be admitted without having to compete in the lottery.
Once admitted, those who meet minimum academic requirements would automatically be accepted for each succeeding year of school.
AED 
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