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

 

TO:

EMSC–VESID Committee

FROM:

James A. Kadamus

SUBJECT:

Charter School Application

 

DATE:

June 16, 2005

 

STRATEGIC GOAL:

Goals 1 and 2

 

AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

 

Summary

 

Issue for Decision

 

          Should the Regents approve the application to establish the Niagara Charter School?

 

Reason for Consideration

 

          Required by State statute, Education Law 2852.

         

Proposed Handling

 

          This question will come before the EMSC-VESID Committee on June 20, 2005 for action.  It will then come before the full Board for final action on June 21, 2005.

 

Procedural History

 

          The application for the Niagara Charter School (NCS) was first discussed by the Board of Regents in December 2004. At that time, the application was denied “without prejudice” and the applicants were encouraged to resubmit the application once certain community support issues could be addressed.  The applicants subsequently entered into an agreement with the Superintendent of the Niagara Falls City School District to locate the school within those boundaries, but the District’s Board of Education failed to approve the charter school.  The application was subsequently re-submitted to the Department for review and approval.


 

Background Information

 

          The proposed charter school would be located in the Niagara-Wheatfield Central School District.  The School would use 2005-06 as a start-up year and commence instruction in the 2006-07 school year.  It would serve 240 students in grades K-4, and it has no management company.  By its fifth year, NCS will serve 384 students in grades K-8.  It will use the Expeditionary Learning-Outward Bound instructional model.

 

The following table summarizes the number of new charters that may still be issued by charter entities in New York:

 

Charter Entity

SUNY Trustees

All Other Charter Entities

Remaining against statutory ceiling

9

11

 

 

The New York City Chancellor has also approved eight conversion charter schools and the Buffalo City School District has approved one conversion school, all of which do not count against the statutory ceiling. 

 

Recommendation

 

VOTED:  That the Board of Regents approve the application to establish the Niagara Charter School because:  1) the charter school described in the application meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the application 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.  

         

Timetable for Implementation

 

          The Regents action will become effective on June 21, 2005.   The 2005-06 school year will serve as a start-up planning year for the Niagara Charter School and it will commence instruction in the 2006-07 school year.

 

 

Attachment

 


New York State Education Department

 

Summary of Charter School Review

 

Summary of Applicant Information

 

 

 

Name of Proposed Charter School:  Niagara Charter School

 

Address:  6929 Williams Road, Wheatfield, New York 14304

 

Applicant(s):  Richard D. Hague, Jr.

 

Anticipated Opening Date: September 2006

 

District of Location: Niagara-Wheatfield Central School District               

 

Charter Entity:  Board of Regents

 

Institutional Partner(s):    Expeditionary Learning-Outward Bound

Boys and Girls Clubs of Buffalo

Learning Disabilities Association of Western New York

 

Management Partner(s): None

 

Grades Served: K-4 (K-8)                     Projected Enrollment: 240 (384)

 

 

 

 

Application Highlights

 

 

Applicant

          Rev. Hague is the pastor of the Mt. Erie Baptist Church in Niagara Falls, New York.

         

Institutional/Management Partner

          Expeditionary Learning-Outward Bound (ELOB) is a comprehensive school reform model that stresses project-based learning, the application of theory in practical situations, character development, community, and stewardship.  ELOB will provide on-site and on-going professional development, technical assistance, and materials and texts for the professional development.

 

          The Boys and Girls Clubs of Buffalo is interested in expanding its geographic reach by working with the Niagara Charter School (NCS) to offer services to children such as alcohol and drug prevention programs, the arts, health, the environment, and athletics.

 

The Learning Disabilities Association is a parent-sponsored, non-profit agency that will provide services such as recreation, latchkey programs, Family Support and Parent Training, Information and Referral Services, and Crisis Intervention.

 

Curriculum/Assessment/Instruction

 

Governance

 

Students

 

Budget/Facilities

·       The proposed start-up year budget (2005-06) shows revenues of $125,000 and expenditures of $124,948, for a surplus of $52.

·       The school has also received a line of credit from the HSBC Bank in the amount of $100,000 for the acquisition of the facility.

·       Upon approval of the charter, the school will be eligible to receive up to $525,000 in start-up funds from the federal Public Charter School Program grant.

·       The proposed charter school will lease space in the Summit Park Mall on Williams Road in Wheatfield, New York.

·       The school will lease 40,000 square feet on 2 floors in the first 3 years and expand to 75,000 square feet by Year 5 of the charter.

·       The building is ADA compliant and includes a working elevator.

 

Fiscal Impact

·       The projected fiscal impact is shown in the attached tables.

 

Personnel

 

Community Support

 

Recommendation

 

Approve the application.

 

Reason for Recommendation

 

1) The charter school described in the application meets the requirements set out in Article 56 of the Education Law, and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations; (2) the applicants can demonstrate the ability to operate the school in an educationally and fiscally sound manner; and (3) granting the application 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.

 


Percent of District Students at or Above Level 3 on State Assessments

2003-04

 

District

Gr. 4 ELA

Gr. 4 Math

Gr. 8 ELA

Gr. 8 Math

Niagara-Wheatfield

74.1

94.3

51.8

63.0

Niagara Falls

57.0

86.9

35.2

56.0

N. Tonawanda

66.8

88.0

59.6

65.0

Tonawanda

75.3

93.3

49.2

70.0

Sweet Home

72.1

84.5

55.3

68.0

Lewiston-Porter

80.8

95.4

53.9

69.0

Starpoint

76.5

88.6

54.9

75.0

 

 

 

Projected Fiscal Impact of the Niagara Charter School

2006-07

 

District

Projected Enrollment*

AEP**

Expected Revenue

District Budget***

Percent Impact

Niagara-Wheatfield

22

$8,796

$193,512

$56,511,441

0.34

Niagara Falls

155

$8,049

$1,247,595

$111,450,976

1.11

North Tonawanda

25

$8,034

$200,850

$58,989,953

0.34

Tonawanda

17

$7,405

$125,885

$29,304,107

0.43

Sweet Home

8

$9,014

$72,112

$57,015,994

0.13

Lewiston-Porter

5

$9,337

$46,685

$36,439,780

0.13

Starpoint

8

$7,077

$56,616

$37,844,967

0.15

Totals

240

NA

$1,943,255

NA

NA

*Actual enrollment may vary.

**Assumes a 3% increase in AEP; actual AEP may increase by more, or even decrease.

***Assumes a 4% increase in budget; actual increase may be more.

 

Projected Fiscal Impact of the Niagara Charter School

2007-08

 

District

Projected Enrollment*

AEP**

Expected Revenue

District Budget***

Percent Impact

Niagara-Wheatfield

30

$9,060

$271,800

$58,771,898

0.46

Niagara Falls

180

$8,290

$1,492,200

$116,087,336

1.29

North Tonawanda

26

$8,275

$215,150

$61,349,551

0.35

Tonawanda

20

$7,627

$152,540

$30,476,271

0.50

Sweet Home

13

$9,284

$120,692

$59,296,633

0.20

Lewiston-Porter

8

$9,617

$76,936

$37,897,371

0.20

Starpoint

11

$7,289

$80,179

$39,358,765

0.20

Totals

288

NA

$2,409,497

NA

NA

*Actual enrollment may vary.

**Assumes a 3% increase in AEP; actual AEP may increase by more, or even decrease.

***Assumes a 4% increase in budget; actual increase may be more.

 

Projected Fiscal Impact of the Niagara Charter School

2008-09

 

District

Projected Enrollment*

AEP**

Expected Revenue

District Budget***

Percent Impact

Niagara-Wheatfield

30

$9,332

$279,960

$61,122,773

0.46

Niagara Falls

210

$8,539

$1,793,190

$120,730,829

1.49

North Tonawanda

28

$8,523

$238,644

$63,803,533

0.37

Tonawanda

26

$7,856

$204,256

$31,695,322

0.64

Sweet Home

17

$9,563

$162,571

$61,668,498

0.26

Lewiston-Porter

8

$9,906

$79,248

$39,413,265

0.20

Starpoint

17

$7,508

$127,636

$40,933,115

0.31

Totals

336

NA

$2,885,505

NA

NA

*Actual enrollment may vary.

**Assumes a 3% increase in AEP; actual AEP may increase by more, or even decrease.

***Assumes a 4% increase in budget; actual increase may be more.

 

Projected Fiscal Impact of the Niagara Charter School

2009-10

 

District

Projected Enrollment*

AEP

Expected Revenue

District Budget

Percent Impact

Niagara-Wheatfield

34

$9,612

$326,808

$63,567,683

0.51

Niagara Falls

241

$8,795

$2,119,595

$125,560,062

1.69

North Tonawanda

32

$8,779

$280,928

$66,355,674

0.42

Tonawanda

30

$8,092

$242,760

$32,963,134

0.74

Sweet Home

19

$9,850

$187,150

$64,135,237

0.29

Lewiston-Porter

9

$10,204

$91,836

$40,989,795

0.22

Starpoint

19

$7,733

$146,927

$42,570,439

0.35

Totals

384

NA

$3,396,004

NA

NA

*Actual enrollment may vary.

**Assumes a 3% increase in AEP; actual AEP may increase by more, or even decrease.

***Assumes a 4% increase in budget; actual increase may be more.