To the editor:

In regard to the front-page article in your Friday, Nov. 11 edition concerning “Charter school gets final warning,” it is and always has been obvious that Dinosaur is an orphan in almost everything concerning their needs and support from Moffat County. One of the exceptions is their library, thanks to the Moffat County library director. Possibly there are other exceptions, but they don’t come to mind right now. The one experience I have had was when I was a board member at-large of the Emergency Medical Services and attended a Moffat County commissioners meeting years ago. When asked for some help for Dinosaur’s needs in organizing an EMS unit, the answer was “no.”

Your article is a result of what typically happens in Dinosaur. When their school was closed, they were not satisfied with the then only option they had, which was to transport their children to other schools for their education.

It is admirable that this small community banded together and formed a charter school. Middle school and senior students beings transported is one thing; younger children being transported is something else. There are several things that make up a community. Two of them are schools and a library.

This decision by the Moffat County School District Board of Education brings up questions that are not answered in your article. First and foremost, is it documented that the district is complying with federal and state laws pending the school’s closure? What are the test results at the present time compared with the same age students in the district? There are probably more questions that should be asked. But one of the most important questions is: Why are charter schools so disliked, especially under these circumstances? Why couldn’t they have had more support under these circumstances?

George K. Lewis