Another charter school could be coming to Fort Wayne

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Another charter school wants to make Fort Wayne its home, but some community members are not supportive.

Carpe Diem Indiana wants to open Carpe Diem Summit Campus at the old Taylor University in Fort Wayne this August. There was a public hearing held Tuesday evening for community members to express their opinions. While the room was divided, the majority of attendees were against the proposal.

"We heard one view represented fairly strongly," said Jason Bearch, the Carpe Diem Indiana Board Chair. "I think there are many other perspectives in this community, and I think we'll find that, and if we do, and the demand is there, then we'll open a school here."

There is already one Carpe Diem campus in Indianapolis, so the Fort Wayne campus would be an extension. The school would be from grades 6-12, and if approved, it would begin the school year with 130 students. There would be no senior class in the first year of operation.

Monday night, the Fort Wayne Community Schools Board passed a resolution that "opposes the granting of a charter to conduct a school on the campus of the former Taylor University property or elsewhere absent a need for additional choices." Board members said every time a student leaves the district, it loses $600,000.

"They're duplicating an existing program, taking the dollars with them, but leaving the cost behind to us...The resolution we passed last night was intended to make clear that we are a school system of choice, we are succeeding with out students, and we cannot afford to have a couple hundred thousand dollars for this experiment," said Mark GiaQuinta, the Fort Wayne Community Schools Board President.

However, representatives from Carpe Diem say their school is not a duplication. They'll provide parents with another choice they can't find anywhere else such as a specialized education tailored to each child's individual goals.

The Indiana Charter School Board will be deliberating and deciding on the approval of the charter Wednesday at 3 p.m.