PALMER -- Academy Charter, one of about a half-dozen charter schools in the Mat-Su, is looking to expand its land base by having the borough buy 20 acres adjoining its site in Palmer. But the idea is facing opposition from some School Board members.
Academy Charter Principal Barbara Gerard said the school needs land to expand its parking area.
The school, which has 231 students in grades K-8, is squeezed onto just under 4 acres at its site off Arctic Avenue on the north end of town.
Parking is so tight, the school can't even use its stage for performances because of concerns there would be too many cars, she said.
The additional 20 acres, located just west of the school, would allow for more parking and could be a spot for other amenities like a ball field or elementary track, she said.
It could also be used to put in a road to give parents driving to and from nearby Swanson and Sherrod elementary schools another route back to the Glenn Highway, she said.
Right now parents primarily drive in and out on Gulkana Drive.
But at a School Board meeting last Wednesday, board members balked at supporting a resolution asking the Borough Assembly to purchase land for the school.
The board eventually voted 5-1, with board president Jim Colver opposed, to table the resolution and take it up at a meeting June 17.
While they supported the charter school, board members said they had concerns about whether the borough could legally buy land for use by the charter school.
Borough code only references approving sites for lease by charter schools, board member Sarah Welton noted.
Some board members also said they worried buying land for Academy Charter would cut into already limited funds and come at the expense of students in the rest of the district.
Board member Colleen Hamblen noted the borough limited funding of the School District this year because of fiscal concerns.
"I don't care where it comes from, it is still taxpayer money to purchase this land," she said.
Gerard said she believes the purchase would benefit the entire school district. The amenities, like a track, would be available to all students, and the charter school is part of the district, she said. She noted the school has been in operation for 12 years, so it is well established and not a start up with an uncertain future.
Regardless of the concerns about the charter-school use, board member Susan Pougher said she could support recommending the borough buy the land for future school use or for parks and recreation. It's an ideal spot for borough property, she said, strategically located next to Swanson and Sherrod elementary schools and near a set of well-used soccer fields.
It was not clear how much the land might cost, although the 20-acre parcel, owned by Mat-Su Valley Ventures LLC, is valued at just over $354,000, according to borough property-tax records.
Find S.J. Komarnitsky at adn.com/contact/skomarnitsky or 352-6714.
By S.J. KOMARNITSKY
skomarnitsky@adn.com