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

 

TO:	EMSC-VESID Committee
FROM:	Jean C. Stevens
SUBJECT:	Charter School Revision
DATE:	December 21, 2006
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goals 1 and 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

 

Should the Board of Regents approve the requested revision to the existing charter of the Niagara Charter School? 

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

          Required by State statute, Education Law §2852.

 

Proposed Handling

 

This question will come before the Regents EMSC-VESID Committee for action in January 2007. 

 

Procedural History

 

Under the New York Charter Schools Act of 1998, the Board of Regents and the charter entity are authorized to approve revisions to existing charters.   

 

Background Information

 

The Niagara Charter School is a Regents-authorized charter school in Niagara Falls (Niagara-Wheatfield Central School District).  Its charter was issued on July 22, 2005 and the School commenced instruction in August 2006.  On December 5, 2006 the Board of Regents voted to permit the School to increase its maximum student enrollment for the 2006-07 school year from 240 students in grades K-4 to 264 students.   The School now seeks to amend Sections 2, 5, and 7 of it initial application, as well as Appendix K, to provide a revised estimate of the number/percent of students it expects to enroll from surrounding districts.  The purpose of this amendment is to provide updated and more accurate projected enrollment information by district, based upon actual enrollment to date, so that the payments provided by the sending districts pursuant to §2856 of the Education Law will be based upon more accurate student enrollment data. 

 

A complete copy of the current charter and materials pertaining to the requested revision to the charter are available from James C. Viola at 518-474-4817.

 

Recommendations

 

          Staff recommend that the Board of Regents take the following action:

 

VOTED:   That the Board of Regents approve the second revision to the initial charter of the Niagara Charter School, and any amendment to its provisional charter that is necessary.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

Upon approval by the Board of Regents, the revision to the charter will become effective immediately.

 

Reasons for Recommendations

 

The revision to the charter of the above charter school (together with the other terms of its charter) (1) will 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) is 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.