THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:

The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents

FROM:

James A. Kadamus

COMMITTEE:

EMSC-VESID

TITLE OF ITEM:

Revisions to Charter School Charters

DATE OF SUBMISSION:

October 29, 2004

PROPOSED HANDLING:

Approval  (Consent Agenda)

RATIONALE FOR ITEM:

Statutory Authority to Approve Amendments to Charters

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1 and 2

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

SUMMARY:  

 

            The Board of Regents has the authority pursuant to Article 56 of the Education Law to approve revisions to existing charters.  We have just determined that there are three actions that must be taken by the Board in November relating to revisions to charter school charters.  The revisions would become operational by law if action was delayed until your December meeting.

 

The Trustees of the State University of New York have approved and submitted a proposed revision to the charter for the Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School to allow the school to serve grades K-5 during the 2004-05 school year and grow to K-7 by the 2006-07 school year.  The school was originally slated to serve grades K-6 in 2004-05 and add one grade per year until reaching K-8 in the 2006-07 school year.  The revision also allows the school to increase enrollment by 10 percent of 25 students (whichever is less) without approval of the SUNY Board of Trustees or the Charter Schools Institute. 

 

The Trustees of the State University of New York have also approved and submitted a proposed revision to the charter of Merrick Academy – Queens Public Charter School.  The revision allows the school to serve grades K-6 during the 2004-05 school year and serve 450 students instead of serving 750 students in grades K-10.  The decrease in the number of students served is due to a lack of classroom space to accommodate 750 students.

 

The Trustees of the State University of New York have also approved and submitted a proposed revision to the charter of Sisulu Children’s Academy – Harlem Public Charter School.  The revision allows the school to restructure classes and continue serving kindergarten students in the 2004-05 school year.  (Note: While Sisulu operated kindergarten classes in the 2003-04 school year, the school’s two-year renewal charter does not authorize the inclusion and operation of a kindergarten class for the 2004-05 school year, thus the request for a charter revision.)  The changes are needed to ensure a smoother transition from year to year in terms of class sizes and distribution of teaching resources.  To maintain the number of students to be served at Sisulu, the school will operate one kindergarten class in 2004-2005.  The school operated a first grade program in 2003-04 and will serve an additional 31 students at that grade level in 2004-2005.  The school is currently approved to serve 200 students in 4th and 5th grade in 2004-2005, but has requested to amend its charter to decrease that number to 140 (70 on each grade level) for the 2004-2005 school year.  These changes will result in the school being authorized to serve a total of 224 students during the 2004-05 school year, a decrease of one student from the number currently authorized in the school’s charter.

 

The potential fiscal impact upon the districts of location for Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School, Merrick Academy – Queens Public Charter School, and Sisulu Children’s Academy – Harlem Public Charter School, based on the requested revisions is attached.

 

Materials submitted by the SUNY Board of Trustees pertaining to the amendment are available from Shelia Evans Tranumn (718-722-2796).

 

VOTED:  That the Board of Regents approve the proposed revisions to the charters of the following charter schools upon a finding by the Board of Regents that: (1) the revisions meet the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the revisions (together with the other terms of the charters) will permit the charter schools to operate in an educationally and fiscally-sound manner; and (3) the revisions (together with the other terms of the charter) are likely to improve student learning and achievement and materially further the purposes set out in subdivision two of section twenty-eight hundred fifty of Article 56 of the Education Law:

 

·        Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School

·        Merrick Academy – Queens Public Charter School

·        Sisulu Children’s Academy – Harlem Public Charter School

 

 

Attachment


Potential Fiscal Impact of the Charters

for  the

Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School, Merrick Academy – Queens Public Charter School, and Sisulu Children’s Academy – Harlem Public Charter School

 

Brooklyn Excelsior Charter School

(New York City – Brooklyn)

School Year

Number of Students

Projected Payment*

Projected Impact

2004-05

480

$8,439

0.029%

2005-06

555

$8,686

0.034%

2006-07

630

$8,943

0.039%

*Assumes a 3 percent increase in the district’s budget and a 4.5 percent increase in the average expense per pupil, per year.

 

Merrick Academy – Queens Public Charter School

(New York City – Queens)

School Year

Number of Students

Projected Payment*

Projected Impact

2004-05

450

$8,439

0.027%

*Assumes a 3 percent increase in the district’s budget and a 4.5 percent increase in the average expense per pupil, per year.

 

 

Sisulu Children’s Academy – Harlem Public Charter School

(New York City – Manhattan)

School Year

Number of Students

Projected Payment*

Projected Impact

2004-05

224

$8,439

0.013%

2005-06

238

$8,686

0.015%

*Assumes a 3 percent increase in the district’s budget and a 4.5 percent increase in the average expense per pupil, per year.

 

Note: The charts above reflect the remaining years of each charter.