Minutes - Council - 04/08/2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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recommendation that we commence the action to both preserve the status quo by requesting no lotteries take place and proceed rapidly to get a ruling from our courts. I do not regret that action. Obviously, we later obtained the actual taped discussion ofthe relevant charter school amendment's discussion in the senate by the bill's author, senator Thomas Neuville, who is now a district court judge in Rice County. The transcript of that tape provided to this council at the work session supports our position as to benefiting residents oftowns and cities in a broad capacity. Mr. Look and I discussed the matter with city administrator regarding the various positions and it was decided to bring the matter to the full council for an update last week. To my knowledge, no delays in the process occurred in bringing the matter to the full council. While I may have the personal belief that the then city council in 2003-2004 that approved the PACT school in Ramsey did not have the benefit of all the information regarding the enrollment benefit or lack thereof to Ramsey residents according to the minutes of those meetings, the city possesses that information now. Further, I may have the personal belief that this public charter school is misusing the law to cherry pick it's student body that I believe is elitist and that disadvantages Ramsey residents by not giving them a choice or severely limiting their choice to attend the PACT charter school. Irrespective of the court action, it is my belief that this council and city residents should look at the actions of the school's administration rather than it's statements. Oftentimes those actions reveal the reveal the true intentions. What happened here when the PACT school was confronted with the problem? Well, the charter school simply took the position of a narrow construction-that is, the law did not apply to them because Ramsey was a "city" and not a "town". Requests for information from Mr. Look and I went unanswered though the school possessed and was afforded ample opportunity to provide us with evidence rebutting our position. (Note that it is the job of the school administrator to know and apply the law which has been on the books for 8 years or since 2000. Mr. De Bruyn had the opportunity to get legislative history and this is done not infrequently in ascertaining legislative intent.) Furthermore, the Minnesota Department of Education's opinion was ignored by the PACT school in spite of the organization being the supervisor of all public education. Councilmember Elvig commented in the work session that in [2003 or 2004] he was sold on the direct benefit to Ramsey residents as enrollees. Mr. Elvig was unaware of the little benefit this school was serving our community in terms of preferences. Now, presumably PACT takes the position that the legislative history is somehow mumbo jumbo. In sum, to those who claim I have not given them options, it is not me who has not given them options, in fact it is the charter school administration that is not giving our residents options. My purpose is to provide you with information. It is my opinion that if the PACT school family is unhappy with the current status of our laws, they can follow the correct process and initiate change through the proper channels by seeking legislative change. 4