The board of the Staples Motley School District agreed to sponsor two charter schools at their regular meeting Monday evening.

The approval of letters and affidavits of intent to sponsor TIDE Academy and Career Connections High School came on split votes after little discussion.

Much of the discussion had already taken place at a special work session June 1 where the concepts behind the two schools were explained in more detail.

This approval of sponsorship is one of the final items both teams needed for the applications that need to be submitted to the Minnesota Commissioner of Educa- tion by July 7.

The kindergarten through grade 5 program is called TIDE Academy. TIDE is an acronym for Technology Integrated Differentiated Environment. It would focus on a handson inquiry process using technology with a theme of the environment.

Ken Swecker, Mary Freeman, Paul Anderson and Barb Schmitt voted in favor of the sponsorship. Roy DiGiovanni and Chad Longbella were opposed. The motion passed.

Career Connections High School would start with grades 9-11 and expand to grade 12. This career and technical school would prepare students with academic, technical and job skills for post secondary education or careers in these five fields:

o human services;

o health science technology;

o engineering, manufacturing and technology;

o agriculture, food and natural resources; or

o business management.

DiGiovanni's was the only vote in opposition so this motion also passed.

The commissioner has 90 days in which to make a decision on charter schools. If approved, the charter school and its sponsor then has 90 days in which to agree to a formal contract that spells out the details of operation.

With the commissioner's approval comes federal and state funding. The first year is considered a planning year so the school(s) wouldn't open until the fall of 2010.

Federal funding is about $180,000 for each of the first three years. After that the charter must be self-sustaining. About $100,000 in state funding is also available.

"Years ago we had hard decisions when we decided to pair with the Motley School District and eventually consolidate. This is very similar," said Schmitt, board chair. "We didn't know if it was a good decision then, but we've found that it has been."

Once the applications are submitted there are no guarantees that either project will be funded. About ten schools are expected to be funded in Minnesota this year. About 60 applications are expected.

Elementary principal

Jason Luksik will be the new principal for Staples and Motley elementary schools. He will take over for Gwynne Gildow who is retiring.

Luksik has been serving as superintendent and principal at Pine Point Public School in Ponsford since July 2007. His masters degree in educational leadership from Moorhead State University was completed last month.

He taught third and fourth grade at Pine Point and was also a fourth grade teacher in the Mahnomen School District. He received his bachelors degree in elementary education from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, in 2003.

In other business the board:

o APPROVED a plan presented by the administration for restructuring certified and support staff taking into consideration retirements and projected funding and enrollment levels. The only item removed from the list for further study was a recommendation to share one school social worker between the Staples Elementary School and the Motley building.

o APPROVED the resignation of Bernie Schultz, speech-language pathologist.

o APPROVED the 2009-10 capital outlay budget with the understanding that it could be changed depending on the outcome of the Sept. 8 bond referendum.

o AUTHORIZED the administration to seek bids for two buses.

o ACCEPTED the bakery bid from Staples Express and dairy bids from Kemps and Food Service of America.

o HEARD in the principals reports about changes to handbooks and about summer school numbers.