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Imagine Schools wants to open its third charter school in Fort Wayne at the former Village Woods Middle School, but East Allen County Schools must first decide whether it wants the building.
East Allen sold the building in 2006 to Ralph White, who started White’s School of the Arts at the building, 2700 E. Maple Grove Ave. The contract that transferred the property states that if White wants to sell the building, East Allen must be given the first right to buy it for $1 or refuse it, said Kirby Stahly, East Allen’s chief financial officer.
White sent East Allen officials a letter asking them to relinquish that right so Imagine Schools could purchase the building to house its upcoming Imagine Bridge Academy.
If they do not respond in 30 days, White will consider them not interested in buying the building back and move forward with Imagine, Don Willis, president of the Imagine Bridge Academy Board, said during a meeting Wednesday.
Stahly said East Allen officials are planning to respond to White’s letter but would not comment on what the letter says.
Ultimately, the board will vote on what to do.
The East Allen board has a meeting Tuesday, but Stahly and board President Janice Witte said White and Imagine are not on the agenda. Willis said he and others plan to attend the meeting.
White recently came under fire for using his non-profit organization to sponsor a casino in Fort Wayne. While state legislators noted White didn’t do anything illegal, his Parnell Poker Palace was named when they amended a bill that would put casinos like his out of business.
White’s School of the Arts operates a 24-hour child care center, numerous education programs and martial arts for children.
Witte said she isn’t sure how the district will proceed but doesn’t expect it to move quickly.
"I think it’s going to be something that is long and drawn out," Witte said.
Witte said charter schools in Fort Wayne have not been performing well, and she would be sad to see East Allen students transfer out of the district to attend those schools.
It’s a difficult decision for how to proceed because Willis and Imagine are competitors of East Allen, she said. The school, which would be Imagine’s third in Fort Wayne, would begin with 400 students, and Imagine officials plan to spend $3.5 million to $4 million to renovate the building, Willis said.
Willis would not comment directly to The Journal Gazette about the plan. White did not return a call seeking comment.
"I think that would be a great location," Imagine board member Vince Robinson said.
Willis said two other locations are being considered but did not say where. He said he preferred having the school at White’s building.
Wednesday was the first time the Imagine Bridge Board discussed the locations in a public meeting. Willis and Jason Bryant, vice president of Imagine Schools Inc., sent Ball State University a letter in September identifying White’s building as a tentative site, said Larry Gabbert, director of Ball State’s Office of Charter School.
Ball State is one of the main authorizers of charter schools in Indiana. Charter schools are paid for with tax dollars and are free from some of the regulations imposed on public schools and therefore have more flexibility.
White is hosting a rally at the school from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday to garner support for the partnership with Imagine.
ksoderlund@jg.net
