INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — By a resounding vote, the Indian River County School Board turned down an application for what would have been the district’s sixth charter school.
Charter Schools are alternative public schools. And while they do receive governmental funding, they operate independently.
In August, the District received an application to build what was to become Somerset Academy Vero Beach. The school would have had a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math and it would have served students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
The school would have been a replication of the existing Somerset Academy school educational programs in Dade, Palm Beach, Broward and Duval counties. Somerset was founded in 1997 as one of the first charter schools in Broward County. It is also one of the first charter schools in Florida to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Superintendent Fran Adams, who recommended not going forward with the Somerset application to create a charter school here, said Somerset went through an extensive review process.
Karen Disney-Brombach said charters that do best in Indian River County are schools that are home-grown and not governed by an out-of-area board such as Somerset. Disney-Brombach said she also had concerns about Somerset’s pre-screening students for disabilities as well as the planned school’s finances.
Claudia Jimenez said she shared similar concerns.
The board voted 4-0 to deny the Somerset application. Somerset did not have anyone in attendance at the School Board meeting Tuesday evening.
