If LWCS decides to do an IB Charter School at LWHS it will be a "school within a school", and if LWCS is successful the IB Charter School will begin with the 2006-2007 school year. Because this is a new Charter it would mean $400,000 of start-up funds over two years. Should McLaughlin decide to go charter, LWCS would then have the middle school conversion and would be going for three (3) new charters. This would be able to step-up the education for all levels of our students.
Ms. Dunson noted the IB curricula could be used across the schools. School not with IB would be stepped up for performing arts and it would raise the educational academia for all schools.
Richard Howell questioned the urgency to move forward. Dr. Wright explained that PCSB was looking at an IB program in the East side of the school district. If we have the program we can pull other students from other cities. If we don't our students will leave to go to the IB program that is closer to them. Our students are now attending Bartow Elementary Academy, Union Academy and Bartow IB School.
Much discussion evolved surrounding the inception of the IB programs K-12 for LWCS. Dr. Wright stated that we needed to do a charter 9-12 for the "school within a school" for the high school. The Superintendent recommended the following: 1) not doing an IB school within a school at McLaughlin if they join LWCS; 2) going with a separate middle start-up school away from McLaughlin for the IB middle school. This would allow LWCS to place its career path curriculum at McLaughlin along with the performing arts to make these areas stronger. The start-up IB middle school would be the flow for the students coming out of Polk Avenue and we would attract Lake Wales' students back from Union Academy.
