Proposed school may open doors to other options

Could a proposed new charter school in Somerton provide a glimpse into future education alternatives?

It seems possible based on plans outlined to Somerton officials by the executive director of the Arizona Foundation for Social Justice, Children and Youth Services.

Sylvester Ajagbe said the Maricopa County based social service organization wants to establish a charter school for youths aged 14 to 21 that would offer courses aimed at preparing them for careers in law or medicine in addition to general course work.

Whether the project actually goes forward will depend on finding a location and getting federal funding. Ajagbe said he hoped Somerton — which has long wanted its own high school — would provide “moral support” for the project.

Charter schools are supported by state pupil funding and are overseen by the state, although the regulations for them are somewhat different than those for regular public schools. The intention of the Arizona lawmakers in establishing charter schools was to create more publicly supported academic choices.

Charter schools often offer their own approaches to providing general educations for young people, but it is unusual for one to direct its efforts to particular vocational areas, as seems to be the goal of the proposed Somerton school.

It is an interesting concept, and one which opens many potential doors.

For example, there has long been talk of a vocational or trade type school in Yuma to prepare students for work outside the college experience. Perhaps there is an opportunity there for a charter school. There are obviously many other potential options.

It will be interesting to see if the Somerton school proposal actually materializes and is successful.