SUMMARY

Issue for Decision

Should the Regents approve the revision to the initial charter for Believe Southside Charter High School (New York City)?

Background Information

We received a request from Believe Southside Charter High School (BSCHS or “the School”) to revise its initial charter.  The initial charter was approved in January 2009 to serve grades nine through twelve at full growth.  BSCHS seeks a revision to its initial charter to contract with a management partner, Believe High Schools Network, Inc. This revision, retroactive to August 1, 2009, would allow the School to maintain a strict focus on its academic program.  Anticipated services include legal, instructional support, personnel recruitment, fund development, operational and financial services.  As the proposed partner is newly formed, a student performance history associated with its operation is not available.  BSCHS also seeks a revision to its first-year calendar, changing the School’s opening date from August 24, 2009, to September 1, 2009.  This revision, retroactive to August 24, 2009, is due to start-up challenges surrounding shared facility space. 

The New York City Department of Education held a public hearing in Community School District 14 on November 30, 2009 regarding these proposed revisions to the charter.  No comments were made or received. 

Recommendation

VOTED: That the Board of Regents approves the revisions to the initial charter of the Believe Southside Charter High School nunc pro tunc as proposed, and the provisional charter is amended accordingly.

Reasons for Recommendation

              The proposed revision to the School’s charter, along with the other terms of the charter: (1) meet the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations; (2) will permit the charter school to operate in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) 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.

Timetable for Implementation

The Regents action for the Believe Southside Charter High School is effective immediately.