Group urges probe into Hope Online's funding

Anti-Defamation League points to mix of taxes and religion

Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News

Published November 30, 2006 at midnight

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A civil rights group Wednesday called on the Colorado attorney general to investigate reports that tax dollars are being spent on religious education through the Hope Online Learning Academy Co-Op.

In a separate development, the southeastern Colorado school district that chartered Hope Online came a step closer to losing state academic accreditation. State education commissioner William Moloney said Wednesday that the Vilas School District in Baca County will go on academic probation after several years of poor student performance. That step precedes loss of state accreditation.

Vilas Superintendent Joe Shields said he accepts the decision to put the district on probation.

"I totally understand," Shields said. "We have accreditation standards and we have to find a way to bring our kids up in achievement."

Hope officials could not be reached for comment.

Vilas enrolls only about 100 students in the tiny farming community. But the district also is accountable for the progress of 3,700 students enrolled through Hope, a Littleton- based charter school that oversees 81 "learning centers" statewide, mostly in the Denver area.

On Tuesday, the Rocky Mountain News reported that budgets at some Hope learning centers, many of which are located in churches and private religious schools, show hefty overhead costs and a lack of oversight. Reporters also found public money being spent to assist the religious schools.

On Wednesday, Bruce DeBoskey, director of the Anti-Defamation League's Rocky Mountain States Region, issued a statement that the ADL has "serious concerns" about Hope funding.

"If media reports are true, this program directly contravenes the principle of the separation of church and state, and violates Colorado's constitution, which expressly bans the use of state funds for religious education."

Attorney General John Suthers could not be reached immediately for comment.

Hope students, many of whom were doing poorly in traditional schools, work on computers using learning materials provided by Vilas over the Internet. Their troubles were reflected in dismal scores on statewide achievement tests administered last spring under the Colorado Student Assessment Program. The education department counts those results as part of Vilas' scores. Shields said he has placed Hope on academic watch and will ask Hope officials for an improvement plan.

Vilas was in trouble before the Hope charter was issued last year. The district has been on "academic watch" - the step that precedes probation - since March 2003. Michael Clough, the education department's supervisor for the eastern part of the state, cited poor test results and the failure of many students to show up for the mandatory tests.

Scores on 2006 CSAP tests

Test Vilas district Hope Online Vilas online State ave.

4th reading 31 21 n/s 68

4th writing 18 11 n/s 50

4th math 32 25 n/s 69

8th reading 27 22 28 66

8th writing 17 13 13 51

8th math 10 9 5 45

8th science 15 17 5 50

10th reading 26 20 41 68

10th math 3 2 7 31

10th science 12 12 12 47