The Erie School District School Board on Tuesday held the first public hearing on the possibility of a new charter school, Eagle's Nest College Preparatory Charter School.
Bishop Dwane Brock is one of the driving forces behind this charter school. He says that nearly half of the kids in the Erie School District are living in poverty, and he and his board, made up of political officials, law enforcement and financial planners, are hoping to change that.
They hoping to get the board's approval to use the former Roosevelt School to house the charter school. Right now, the school would be K-5, and eventually expanding to include the 8th grade.
This charter school would be the first of its kind in the state, because they're proposing to house students grade 4 and above. Bishop Brock tells us that a constant presence would instill a value of education, and provide kids a safe, secure place to learn, while keeping from going home to what he calls dysfunctional situations.
"We're talking about minimizing that time at home, and placing them in a 24 hour, 5 day a week educational environment that we would be able to inundate them in intellectual education as well as character development."
The board did question funding of the proposed $3.5 million budget. Proponents of Eagle's Nest say they do have donors ready to help financially.
The Erie School Board has 75 days to go over the application, and then vote.
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