Many in our church community have reached out to the Charter School Collaboration Committee, our ministers and Council Exec members with comments, questions or concerns related to the proposed relationship with Constellation Charter School. There are many valid opinions on both sides of the issue and many folks are still on the fence on how the congregation should proceed.  Rather than seeing these discussions as a source of division or schism amongst our congregation I see this continuing process as further opportunities for open and transparent dialogue as we “reimagine” UCG’s future potential. 

Since the opportunity to host a charter school first came about, there has been a much shorter window of time than many are comfortable with. As the Committee has worked to figure out if this collaboration would be an appropriate fit at UCG, it was important to balance out the school’s time-sensitive requirement to secure a campus before beginning enrollment recruitment.  I was given sage advice when I become Moderator to always strive to be neutral in my deliberations so that I remain open to all sides of an issue.  I have made every effort to do just that as I’ve had interactions and received feedback.  However, I, like many others, would have preferred the benefit of a longer process to spend more time on our discernment. 

From the very beginning of the conversations on hosting a charter school a congregational vote was always considered as an option.  There was never any flat-out opposition within the School Committee, Council Exec or Church Council for having a congregational meeting. Rather due to the administrative and planning process involved in a congregational meeting, the rationale was for the Committee to understand if a congregational meeting was actually needed.  Church Council made the decision in December to give the School Committee, made up diverse and representative members, authority to sign a thoroughly negotiated collaborative agreement as long as the Committee collaborated with Council Exec and Board of Business, sought congregational input and had majority approval of the Committee members to accept the lease terms.  This was based on a goal of allowing the School Committee a degree of flexibility if they found that there was no congregational interest in having a vote. In hindsight perhaps a congregational vote should have been the default plan all along.   

The motion establishing the committee included a requirement for congregational input and feedback as part of the process. Through the listening sessions, presentations, and other candid conversations, it became clear to the committee that a contingent of the congregation wanted to have a vote on any proposed school lease. A survey was sent out to all members asking that very question along with another gauging the wider congregation’s current level of support given the information thus far provided.

Here are the results of the survey.

Based on the survey results the School Committee members and Council Exec were in agreement that Church Council should make a decision on whether to call a congregational meeting to vote on a final version of the lease agreement. In addition, based on the survey results, the School Committee voted to make a recommendation to Church Council that the group should continue their efforts to consider a lease agreement. At last week’s Church Council meeting, the following motions, as amended, were passed: 

1.  APPROVED: Motion for Church Council to approve the Committee’s recommendation that UCG, through the Committee, continues to consider a collaborative lease agreement and accepts the decision-making timeline as presented 
2. APPROVED: Motion to call a special congregational meeting on April 10 at 12:30 pm for the congregation’s authorization, by two-thirds (2/3) approval of those voting, for the Moderator to sign the collaborative agreement, as presented, with the school after 1) consultation with Council Exec and Board of Business, 2) additional input from the congregation and 3) a vote of approval by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting Charter School Collaboration Committee members for its execution 

 Decision-making Timeline 

• 3/17-3/21 CSCC drafts contract language with Constellation in consultation with Council Exec and Board of Business 
• 3/22 Draft contract language sent out via email to the congregation for review 

• 3/27 4th and final listening session with Constellation Charter School representatives in attendance 
• 3/28-4/4 CSCC finalizes contract language with Constellation in consultation with Council Exec and Board of Business 
• 4/5 CSCC votes, with approval required by two-thirds (2/3) of the voting Charter School Collaboration Committee members, on the final Contract language. Contract is “locked in” and sent to the congregation via email in preparation of the congregational vote 
• 4/10 Specially called congregational meeting for a vote to approve, by two-thirds (2/3) of those voting, the collaborative agreement: 

• Shall the Moderator be authorized to sign the collaborative agreement, as presented, with Constellation Charter School? YES NO 

 The draft language of the lease will be sent to the congregation before the last listening session on 3/27.  Members will have an opportunity to review the information and make recommendations and give input before, during or after the meeting.  The contract language, based on feedback from the Congregation, Board of Business and Council Exec, will then be finalized by the Committee and the school before a final Committee vote will be held to “lock in” the heavily negotiated and thoroughly vetted contract. This final version will be sent to the congregation in advance of the congregational meeting for review.  At the April 10th congregational meeting the congregation will vote to approve or disapprove the final contract as presented. 

As we move through the final weeks of this four months long process, I invite all of our congregation to be a part of the conversation and process.  No matter what the outcome of this important decision, my hope is that we continue to listen to each other and remain open to those of differing opinion and mindset.