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Saturday, October 31, 2009
Charter Agrees To City's Terms
By Hailey Heinz
Journal Staff Writer
The Academy of Trades and Technology charter school agreed Friday to keep students on campus during school hours, establish a dress code and cooperate with police in all investigations.
In exchange, the city agreed not to take any action against the school for at least the next three months.
The charter school fell under increased scrutiny this month after shots were fired during a fight between students. Police and fire officials have been called to the school 43 times since October 2008, according to police records.
The city's chief public safety officer, Pete Dinelli, said he is pleased with the agreement and called it a "win-win" for the school and the city.
"As far as I'm concerned, if they conform with this, this should solve the problem," Dinelli said.
The agreement stipulates that the school must cooperate with police investigations and that all staff must wear clothing or vests identifying them as staff. The agreement also requires that the school establish a dress code, although the specifics are up to the school. The charter also agreed to establish a security plan and to have security on duty during all school hours.
Dinelli said he felt the biggest concession, though, was the agreement to close the campus. Students will not be allowed to leave campus during the school day and will not be allowed to loiter on Ross and Yale, the streets nearby. On-campus smoking areas will be set up for students.
Henry Lackey, the school's governing council president, said the meeting with the city went well, and he is pleased with the agreement.
Lackey said he walked around the neighborhood talking to residents and feels the agreement speaks to their concerns.
"I feel very good about this," he said. "These were things the neighbors wanted."
He said details of the closed campus and the dress code still have to be worked out. The school already has a dress code in place, he said, but it is not always enforced and needs to be updated and modified.
City officials will visit the school to explain the changes to students.
ATT, located on Yale north of Gibson, has an enrollment of about 225 students between the ages of 14 and 21. It serves at-risk students, according to its charter, helping them earn high school diplomas and learn job skills in either computer-assisted design or construction.
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