The Lebanon School Board on Monday voted to give negotiations over Sand Ridge Charter School's new operating contract a 35-day extension if the school district and the school's operator, People Involved in Education (PIE), do not reach an agreement by March 2.

According to the terms of the current Sand Ridge contract, the district and PIE have 90 days to complete negotiations on a new contract after the board approves a renewal of Sand Ridge's charter, which it did on Dec. 3, 2007. At that time, Superintendent Jim Robinson presented the board a list of what he said were contract violations and concerns about PIE's operation of the charter school.

The contract states the negotiating period can be extended if both parties agree. The current contract expires on June 30 of this year. If a new contract is not in place by then, the school could be dissolved.

At Tuesday's board meeting, board member Rick Alexander moved to amend the current contract to allow Sand Ridge to continue to operate until a new contract is agreed to. Alexander said over 60 days had passed since the charter renewal, and negotiations had yet to take place.

The superintendent believes that PIE violated its contract by opening a second charter school in 2005 in Sweet Home and a private preschool in Lebanon in 2007 without reaching an agreement with the district, as the contract calls for. Possible co-mingling of Lebanon funds with Sweet Home and the preschool also is a concern.

Robinson is taking the position that talks on a new contract cannot begin until the issues with the current one are resolved.

"I'm appalled that we (the school district) have drug our feet and had no good faith negotiations with PIE," said board member Josh Alexander in supporting Alexander's motion.

Robinson told the board that the motion would essentially extend PIE's contract indefinitely and give it no reason to work to resolve differences with the district.

The motion failed by a 3-2 margin. Board chair Sherrie Sprenger, along with Chris Fisher and Debi Shimmin voted against it. Sprenger and Fisher commented they were OK with giving the negotiations more time, but they were uncomfortable modifying the contract to do it.

Shimmin then moved to automatically extend the negotiating period by 35 days if no agreement had been reached with PIE by the

March 3 board meeting, without modifying the contract. Her motion passed unanimously.

Both Alexander and Wineteer said that by extending the negotiating time without extending the June 30 deadline put PIE at a disadvantage in the discussions.

"You get right down to it, it will be take it or leave it for PIE," Alexander said.

PIE will vote on whether to accept the extension time at it's monthly board meeting on Feb. 5.

Jackson said the district has failed to follow the law, but that he doesn't believe PIE has any choice but to accept the new timeline.

"State statutes are very clear that the sponsor, the Lebanon School Board, shall complete negotiations within 90 days," Jackson said. "They are responsible to cause negotiations to be done by any means necessary."

Jackson presented the board with documentation Monday night that he says answers all of the concerns expressed by the superintendent while raising charges that the district has also failed to honor the contract.

According to PIE, the district has repeatedly failed to make monthly payments to Sand Ridge for operating the school on time.

"It makes a problem at the end of the month for the profit and loss payments if they payments are moved to the next month," said Mary Northern, PIE business manager.

The lack of progress on a new contract is creating anxiety amongst students, parents and staff at Sand Ridge, who wonder if the school will be operational next year," Jackson said.

Robinson told the board on Dec. 3 that he is committed to keeping the charter school open and listed several alternatives to PIE operating it.

Robinson and other district officials, including Alexander, met with PIE representatives on Jan. 14 for over two hours to try and resolve issues hampering negotiations. Afterward, both sides were guardedly optimistic that they could work out their differences.

Administrators of the district and PIE are scheduled to meet again on Feb. 5.