Up North Progressive

Gateway to Success Academy has almost made it through its first year as a for-profit charter school leaching students and resources from real public schools. So far, they have a student population of 125 122 118 and shiny new sign complements of John and Anita Wilson. What else could Gateway to Success Academy need?

How about the very thing that makes a for-profit charter school for-profit?

G2S recently put out an advertisement seeking an education service provider. Charter schools aren’t really public schools except for siphoning tax dollars away from public schools so someone can make a profit running a school no one needs and doesn’t provide anything a real public school can’t provide on its own – as long as there isn’t some for-profit corporation taking funds from them.

Once upon a time, G2S had an education service provider.

Until they didn’t and declared themselves self-managed.

Just in case you’re keeping score: In May of 2015, Gateway to Success Academy listed Castlebond Enterprises of no fixed address as their education service provider. That changed on October of 2015, when they became a self-managed for-profit charter school. Education service providers have specific duties to perform for charters. They handle human resources, payroll and financial paperwork, documents required by the state, and subcontract other vital operations such as custodial and meal service for the school. If you’re thinking right now, that’s a lot of work to do without any actual school administration, you’re right – it is. Real public schools have that infrastructure in place. For-profit charter schools contract it out.

Gateway to Success Academy is in the process of entertaining bids from education service providers from March 13 to April 13, 2017.  The plan is to select a winning bid and announce the new education service provider in May.

This of course leads to one question: Who was doing all of this work before? West Shore Educational Service District (the authorizer)? The school? Jamie Bandstra? John and Anita Wilson?

The only thing we do know is who it isn’t: Castlebond Enterprises! Nope, they had nothing to do with this school ever.

Unless they’re in the process of submitting a bid.

May can’t get here soon enough!