In response to overcrowding concerns, the Lake County School Board approved a new charter school, Seven Lakes Preparatory Academy, in Clermont. After some advocacy by residents, the city council finalized the plans.

Tuesday night, city council members in the beautiful Central Florida town of Clermont had to decide whether to put children’s needs ahead of adults’ needs. We were told beforehand it wasn’t looking good.

For a few months, dozens of parents had attended information nights, sponsored by Florida Parent Network and run by Keith Jacobs, our manager of charter school initiatives. During these sessions, parents discussed their need for more educational options in fast-growing Lake County.

They talked about overcrowded classrooms, portables that smelled of mold and mildew, lunches scheduled at 10 a.m. because the sheer number of students required staggered, and far too early, breaks.

Parents told us about the lack of one-on-one attention their children were receiving and the low grades and behavior problems that were reported as a result.

Something had to be done. (more…)