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<br />WHEREAS, MN Statute 124D.1O Subd. 9. (3) provides in part as follows: <br />If a charter school is the only school located in a TOWN (emphasis added) serving pupils <br />within a particular grade level, then pupils that are residents of the TOWN (emphasis <br />added) must be given preference for enrollment before accepting pupils by lot; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the City of Ramsey is incorporated as a CITY under MN Statute and is <br />therefore not considered to be a TOWN; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, the interpretation indicating that this statute does not apply to the CITY of <br />Ramsey is also supported by the MN Association of Charter Schools and the League of <br />MN Cities; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, State law already provides for enrollment preference to students who live <br />within two miles of the school and more than five miles from the next nearest public <br />school serving that grade; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, two Ramsey City Council members have children on the PACT Charter <br />School kindergarten waiting list and one of these council members has chosen to sue <br />PACT Charter School in District Court (Council Member Matt Look) in order to force <br />the school to interpret the statute in a manner that would favor both his child and the <br />child of the other council member who is representing him (Council Member Dehen) <br /> <br />NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THOSE VOLUNTARILY CHOOSING <br />TO SIGN THIS PETITION: <br /> <br />That we disagree with the council members' proposed resolution for the following <br />reasons: <br />1. Ramsey is a CITY and not a TOWN; and <br /> <br />2. The proposed interpretation would serve to separate siblings of currently enrolled <br />families and any future families at PACT Charter School; and <br />By example, it would change a sibling of a current PACT student's chances of being <br />enrolled in kindergarten next year from 100% to around 30%. <br /> <br />3. It would require a change in enrollment policy and practice that has been used by <br />PACT Charter School for the last 14 years; and <br />Note that this policy has been reviewed by the Department of Education on several <br />occasions and has never been questioned. <br /> <br />4. Support of this resolution could send a negative message to all PACT families who <br />are not Ramsey residents (approximately 420 students and families) that they are <br />unwelcome in the city and that they should not be able to attend PACT. This, in turn, <br />could send a message to anyone who is not a resident of Ramsey that they are not <br />welcome in the City as the City is ONL Y looking to provide services for its own <br />residents; and <br /> <br />Ramsey City Council Petition <br /> <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />4/8/08 <br />