Pair Break Barriers for Charter Schools

In 2004, the Bakkes bought the Chancellor Beacon Academies network, renamed it Imagine and set out to expand, particularly in the Washington area.

They said the District appeals to them, with its 78 charter school campuses and pro-charter laws. But they also are interested in Maryland and Virginia, even though charter advocates consider them unfriendly states.

Other large charter networks include National Heritage Academies, based in Grand Rapids, Mich., with 55 schools and 35,000 students; Mosaica, based in Atlanta and New York, with 76 schools and 14,000 students; and KIPP, also known as the Knowledge Is Power Program, based in San Francisco, with 57 schools and 14,000 students.

Virginia has three charter schools, in Charlottesville, Yorktown and Hampton, with 239 students in all, according to the D.C.-based Center for Education Reform. "School districts authorize charter schools in Virginia, and there is no appeal process for a denied application," Eileen Bakke said. "So a school district basically has to invite you to operate." Still, she added, Imagine is exploring locations in the state.

According to the center, Maryland has 22 charter schools in Baltimore, serving 4,819 students, but the state's suburban school systems have not encouraged the movement. Local school boards cannot bar charters, as they can in Virginia, but they can make life difficult. There are four charter schools with 771 students in Prince George's and one charter school each in Frederick, Anne Arundel and St. Mary's counties, with a total of 608 students.

The Bakkes say parents are attracted to their schools in part because of the emphasis on character. "We talk to the kids from Day One," Eileen Bakke said. "What does it mean to be responsible? What does it mean to have integrity?"

On July 30, the Maryland Court of Appeals issued a ruling that granted more generous funding to all state charter schools. The Bakkes provided $500,000 to support the litigation. In Prince George's, the ruling meant that per-pupil payments to charter schools went from about $5,300 a year to $8,800, Dennis Bakke said.

The Bakkes have plans for two new buildings to house their Prince George's schools, now in temporary quarters, and plan to open two more charter schools in the county in 2009.

"Things are getting much better," Dennis Bakke said.