(Bakersfield.com) Kern High School District trustees on Wednesday unanimously shot down a petition for a proposed charter school named after our nation’s president.

All five board members rejected the idea of Barack H. Obama Leadership Academy based on district input that it did not meet California Education Code standards for the establishment of a charter school.

During a special board meeting, trustees commented that the petition was “inherently weak,” “fiscally irresponsible,” “ill conceived,” “not feasible” and “not thought through.” District staff outlined its findings and analysis in a 15-page report.

Trustee Chad Vegas said he wasn’t concerned with the name of the school, and would reject it even if it were named after Jesus Christ.

“The problem is the petition itself is inherently weak,” said Vegas, who also said he is in favor of charter schools. “They don’t provide anything that seems necessary to running an academy.”

The school aims to teach disadvantaged, at-risk teenagers and at the same time provide mental health services and substance abuse treatment, according to the petition. Representatives for the school were not in attendance Wednesday.

Petitioner Edna Miller said they were never informed of a hearing. She first learned about it and the petition’s denial through a reporter’s phone call. She said she was surprised to hear about the 15-page report.

“A lot of work went into preparing the petition,” Miller said. “To indicate that it’s not up to par is absurd. Any reasonable person that has any form of intelligence can see that it was put together professionally.”

Petitioners Miller and David McGuire said Bakersfield would benefit from the academy, which would cater to those in danger of dropping out. The school would be tuition-free.

District staff said charter officials didn’t ask to work with the district, and no one from the charter has visited campuses or inquired about other similar programs the district has in place. The district’s current charter school, Kern Workforce 2000 Academy, targets at-risk students.

This isn’t the first time the academy’s petition has been denied. Orange Unified School District trustees earlier this month said the petition contained numerous errors, “presented an unsound educational program” and was “poorly prepared, inconsistent and even incomprehensible,” according to The Orange County Register.

Kern High’s report essentially states the same. It also points out that among the three charter board members, two are related to the petitioners — one of those is a high school student.

The 3-inch petition turned into KHSD also incorrectly identified the district as “Kern County Unified School District,” Escondido Union High School District, which is in San Diego County, and other districts.

Organizers decided to name the proposed school after Obama because he preached change, and the academy would bring about change in students’ lives, Miller said.

Two schools in California have been named after Obama. No high school in KHSD is named after a person, and there is a policy for naming schools after individuals. Only individuals deceased for at least two years or a former district trustee or employee are eligible.

A few people in attendance spoke during the hearing.

Gail Bunters said she was opposed to naming a school after Obama, calling him “anti-American.”

Jan Casteel-Fleury, who is with Project 180 gang-prevention program, said the charter school’s intent to address high-risk youth was a good one.

Charter schools are usually reviewed and sponsored by local school districts. If denied, appeals can be made to the county and state boards of education.

Several trustees said they were in favor of charter schools and programs that address high school drop out rates. But the plan for an Obama academy was not feasible, they said.

To view a copy of the district’s analysis on the Obama academy, go to The Californian’s education blog, “The Grade,” at www.bakersfield.com/blogs.

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