Stallworth’s Nonprofit Files Charter Applicaton For Carver/Century; Town Of Century Not Involved

August 11, 2008

A charter school application has been filed for the Carver/Century K-8 School by a Century foundation and the Century Blue Ribbon Committee on Education. But that’s not the same blue ribbon committee than the one appointed by the Town Council to save the school.

The application was filed minutes before the Escambia County Schools Department of Alternative Education closed on August 1, the deadline to apply for charter school status for the 2009-2010 school year. It was the only application filed. Superintendent Jim Paul has indicated that he plans to recommend the closure of Carver/Century at the August 19 school board meeting.

According to the application, it was “Prepared by the Century Blue Ribbon Committee on Education and The Century Community Development Partnership, Inc.”. It was filed by “James Sutton as organizer of the Charter Magnet School at Century in organization” and “Irvin Stallworth as President/Executive Director of CCDP”.

The Town of Century formed its own Blue Ribbon Committee on May 19 and named several area residents to the committee, including Stallworth. That committee appointed by the town is not the committee that filed the charter school application, according to Century Mayor Freddie McCall.

“No sir, it is not it; it is not the same,” McCall said when contacted over the weekend. He did not want to comment further until he had the opportunity to further “study” the situation.

“The committee is unaware of this application,” Century Blue Ribbon Committee member and vocal Carver/Century supporter Laura Nelson said. Nelson was the organizing force behind a prayer walk and rally in support of the school on May 3. “We did not lay eyes on the application prior to it being filed. The committee had no part in that application.”

Century Blue Ribbon Committee member Brenda Spencer said the committee did not vote on anything related to a charter school application when they last met on July 31, one day prior to the application being filed with the school district.

“But if someone had the forethought to file this application before the deadline, at least we won’t miss our chance to keep our school if they vote to close it,” Spencer said. “It is always good to have a ‘Plan B’. If we don’t need to use it, that is good. But we needed another option.”

James Sutton, the man who is listed on the application as the organizer of the Charter Magnet School at Century, told NorthEscambia.com that he was called by Stallworth and asked to help save the school. Sutton is not a member of the town’s blue ribbon committee.

“Hopefully we don’t need it, but we had to have the application filed by August 1,” he said. “If we did not, and they voted to the close the school, the children would have been bused somewhere else. It would be hard to bring them back to Century if they had been gone for a year.”

When NorthEscambia.com asked Sutton if he knew that the Century Blue Ribbon Committee on Education and the town’s Century Blue Ribbon Committee were not the same group, he said, “I was not aware of that, but I have been told that since. It was my understanding at the time that it was the same group, but at the time I did not give it a lot of thought.”

“Regardless, we want the town to come forward to help the town and to help the school,” he said. “We lose our community if we lose our school.”

The charter application was officially filed by the Century Community Development Partnership, Inc., a nonprofit headed by Stallworth. But Stallworth is very clear in the cover letter of the application that the CCDP does not intend to be the corporation running the school.  The letter reads:

“In an effort to expedite the process and to move forward as rapidly as possible with the application of the Charter Magnet School at Century, Florida, the Century Community Development Partnership, Inc. is allowing this application to be filed under their name and their established 501(c)3; however, the Century Community Development Partnership, Inc. will not be the Florida Corporation that will ultimately hold the Charter of the CMS@Century. This interim use of CCDP in this application is pending the CMS@Century obtaining a 501(c)3 designation. The Charter Magnet School at Century is in organization as a Florida nonprofit corporation.”

501(c)3 is the designation given by the Internal Revenue Service to officially designate an approved nonprofit organization.

If the school board votes to close Carver/Century, the charter application does not necessarily mean that the group will  get the charter to operate the school, according to Vickie Mathis, director of the Department of Alternative Education that administers the charter school program in Escambia County.

“It is a lengthy process that must have input from every department in the system, including all four assistant superintendents,” she said. “They review the application very close, including the budget and curriculum. The main thing we are concerned about is the education of the children.”

NorthEscambia.com obtained the application for “The Charter Magnet School of Century, Florida” late Friday afternoon following a public records request submitted to the school district. The detailed 81 page application document spells out the plans for the school, which hopes to 150 students enrolled in grades K-8 in its first year,  175 in its second year and 200 by year number three of the charter.

“Our Charter Magnet School Vision will facilitate the building of a community where any American can live and accomplish good, moral works, enjoy and revel in an abundant life, while looking forward with excitement  and interest to what the future will bring,” the applications says.

Mathis pointed out to NorthEscambia.com that of the application was missing  required signatures, and the application was not a “complete, official application until both signatures are acquired”.

For more information from the charter school application, including how Stallworth says he stepped forward to help, click here.

Editor’s note: NorthEscambia.com attempted to contact Stallworth late Sunday, but we were unable to reach him. He was presumably unavailable because he is the pastor of a Century church and services would have been schedule at his church Sunday evening.

Comments

4 Responses to “Stallworth’s Nonprofit Files Charter Applicaton For Carver/Century; Town Of Century Not Involved”

  1. concerned citizen on August 11th, 2008 11:11 pm

    Trish
    I agree with you. Why work with one group then turn around use a similar name and do this? It does make us look incompetent.

    If you review the board members of the CCDP you will find that Mr. Stallworth and the vice presidents listed are not from Century. Mr. Stallworth is listed from Milton and the remainder are from Pensacola. No one listed from Century. Was there anyone from Century asked to be a member? Or is it felt by Mr. Stallworth and his friends that there is no one in Century that is worthy?

    This is very disturbing. I feel like this is somewhat like this is yet another group coming to Century using our rural underserved status to get grants that go to the remainder of Escambia County. Very sad

  2. Loyal Century Citizen on August 11th, 2008 10:26 pm

    The following comments reflect numerous Century residents’ oppinions that I have spoken with regarding Irvin Stallworth and Jack Moron. Stallworth came to Century in 2003 or early 2004 and was allowed to start a church in the School Cafeteria and later was allowed to lease the old Century High School building by his buddy Jim Paul. We the tax payers in Escambia County Florida are paying the utilitiy bills for his church and office arranged by his great friend Jim Paul. NOTE: This is an oversight by his deacons, HELLO! Stallworth like many individuals and agencies before him has used Century’s poverty level statistics to apply for, and receive, grants and other funding to further his agenda. To this date(over four years later) there is absolutely nothing visible that he done for anyone in this town. He formed his not-for-profit????? organization and with his and his co-hart’s silver tongue, have people with name recognition on his board, for the purpose of securing funding from major churches, companies, State and Federal Agencies, individuals and other sources. NOTE: Neither Stallworth nor any of his board members live in Century. He purchased some property in Century in the name of his church; no property taxes will be paid since it is in the name of his church.. Their story is that they are going to build affordable snap-lock housing for the needy. How many years, and how many grants before we see houses being built? He, nor his co-hart has ever submitted a business plan to the Town Council. If you attend any public meeting where they are present you will hear how they are going to build five-hundred houses in Century and do all kinds of wonderful things for the poor, ignorant people in Century. It is amazing how good inteligent people can be swayed by folks with silver tongues when your normal everyday person is able to see right through what is going on, The following is a list of his board members. Sue Straughn, WEAR Channel 3, Claudia-Brown Curry, Escambia County School Board Member, Hosea Pittman, Pat Crawford, Lavonne Haven. VERY, VERY INTERESTING?

  3. Trish on August 11th, 2008 8:32 pm

    Why are people not working together? Why did Mr. Stallworth join the City’s Blue Ribbon Committee but then went behind the city’s back and did the same thing with other people? Isn’t this being a little too sneeky? What happend to being above board and not giving anyone the chance to even think that what you are doing is not appropriate.

    You are just giving the people of Escambia County ammunition and justification when they say that the people in the north end of the county are crazy and don’t know how to work together for a better community.

    Isn’t Mr. Stallworth from Milton? Maybe that explains why there is no concern for how we look to the rest of OUR county.

  4. Tax payer on August 11th, 2008 1:34 pm

    Editor’s note: NorthEscambia.com attempted to contact Stallworth late Sunday, but we were unable to reach him. He was presumably unavailable because he is the pastor of a Century church and services would have been schedule at his church Sunday evening.
    Hmmmm……………………..

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News