I think the school boards main opposition to charter schools is the fact that they receive public funds that the school board wants for themselves. They ignore the fact that many of the students who attend charters are special needs students whose needs are not met at mainstream local schools. Some of them would not pass or meet the test standards the state requires no matter what school they attend but at least at these charters they are able to develop and grow to the "best of their ability". What saddens me the most is that if these children are forced into local schools, they may lose the opportunity to reach their full potential. The idea that all students are capable of reaching a standard arbitrarily decided by legislators is akin to requiring a giraffe to climb a tree to prove they are an animal. These are children that attend this school. Their parents/caretakers support and depend on this school to provide a caring, supportive and encouraging atmosphere for their children to develop and learn. Residents who question what this school accomplishes should visit the school, meet the teachers, talk with the parents and decide then what impact this school has on its students and their community.