Gulen operated Magnolia Science Academy DENIED by Fremont Unified School District

Fremont school district denies Magnolia charter application

by Rebecca Parr

FREMONT -- A Southern California charter school's application to expand into Fremont was rejected Wednesday night.

The Fremont school board unanimously denied the application, agreeing with the district staff recommendation to turn down the petition.

Magnolia Public Schools had asked to withdraw its application to address staff concerns before a vote was taken, but the district was not legally required to accept the request, Superintendent James Morris told the school board before the vote.

Magnolia has had a history of financial problems, but those have been addressed, according to its CEO, Caprice Young.

An attorney representing the Turkish government spoke against the charter application during a recent public hearing, saying it has ties to Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, which its leaders deny.

"Magnolia is not affiliated with or supported by Fethullah Gulen," wrote Dan Woods, an attorney with a law firm representing Magnolia Educational and Research Foundation. Woods' remarks were in a letter sent Tuesday to the Anaheim Union High School District demanding that it retract a news release linking Magnolia to Gulen.

The lengthy staff report listed three reasons it recommended the charter be denied: Magnolia is unlikely to be successful, the petition does not have enough valid signatures and it does not have comprehensive descriptions of everything required in a charter school application.

"We agree with some, we disagree with others," Young said of points brought up in the staff report. She asked for time to address the district's concerns over the application.

Magnolia emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math.

The staff report did not address accusations of possible links to Gulen, an Islamic imam who stresses education and whose followers have started U.S. charter schools that focus on math and science. The Gulen movement has been investigated for possible misuse of public funds through its secular charter schools; however, Magnolia has not been linked to those investigations.

But Steve Zeltzer, of United Public Workers for Action, expressed concern that the Turkish government would have interest in a charter school application in Fremont.

"This has no place in Fremont," said Zeltzer, who spoke against the petition.

Magnolia held a single Fremont community outreach meeting before submitting the petition, the staff report said.

"Despite asserting the intent to target Latino students, its single outreach effort did not result in signatures reflecting meaningful interest in enrolling by Latino students," the staff report said.

hat single meeting was at the Islamic Center of Fremont, said John Martin, of Amsterdam & Partners, a Washington, D.C., law firm representing the Turkish government. He said his firm was hired to investigate the Gulen movement, and that led him to Magnolia Public Schools.

Young said in an interview that Magnolia was approached by some Fremont parents seeking school alternatives.

The staff report said the petition is "not realistic" in indicating it will reach out to low-income families while also saying it will not provide transportation to and from school except for students with special needs.

"The lack of transportation likely creates a barrier to enrollment for low-income students whose parents may not be in a position to transport them to and from school every day, whether due to lack of personal transportation, work schedules, competing child care needs or other reasons," the report read.

The petition was not tailored to Fremont, but was a stock form presented to several districts to allow Magnolia to expand, according to the staff report.

Magnolia can appeal Fremont's denial of its application to the Alameda County Office of Education board.

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