The District 49 Board of Education voted to approve a five‑year renewal for Mountain View Academy and to adopt a new template for charter contracts that adds a narrow provision (section 8.11) giving the district priority to select or approve legal counsel when both the district and a charter school are named in a complaint.

The renewal drew sustained discussion. Director Heil said the academy’s academic performance has ‘‘sort of cratered’’ — moving from among the district’s stronger CMAS results to much lower scores — and noted Mountain View had been on an improvement plan for four of the past five years. Heil objected to approving renewal without stronger, enforceable conditions tied to improved student outcomes.

Superintendent Hiltz urged the board to consider the district’s past financial exposure when charter schools and the district used separate legal counsel in a co‑respondent complaint. Hiltz said that arrangement once ‘‘ended up placing a very significant — we’re talking over a $100,000 — judgment against the district’’ and that the new clause is designed to reduce that risk while preserving charter autonomy and a grievance process for schools.

District counsel Brad Miller described the new contract as ‘‘very amenable to the autonomy and authority of a charter school’’ and said the section on legal fees and shared costs is narrow in scope. He and district staff said the template will be used for future renewals and that the district had worked collaboratively with charter leaders to produce the document.

Board members who raised concerns were told the clause does not eliminate a charter school’s ability to be represented or to contest settlements; it gives the district a role in finalizing settlements that may create liability for the administrative unit.

The vote to renew Mountain View Academy and adopt the contract template passed (see Votes at a glance). The board directed staff to continue monitoring Mountain View’s compliance and responsiveness to improvement plans and to return reports as necessary.

Notes: The board and staff repeatedly distinguished between discussion about contract language and separate operational accountability matters such as academic performance and notices of concern.