Charter school expects to open at end of month Charter school preparing for Aug. 31 start

Aug 1, 2010 — The Boston Globe

By Steven Rosenberg

Aug. 1, 2010 (The Boston Globe delivered by Newstex) -- Representatives of the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School say progress on a new schoolhouse is ahead of schedule, allowing the school to open as scheduled later this month.
The news appears to have ended speculation that the charter school would accept the city's offer to use a Gloucester school during its opening year in exchange for the school voiding its charter and becoming an "innovation'' school within the district.
The city's proposal was brought to charter school representatives at a July 20 meeting in Malden attended by state Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester, Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, and Gloucester school officials. The charter school's trustee chairwoman, Amy Ballin, and its executive director, Anthony Blackman, also took part in the meeting.
While no decision was made then, the city and charter school representatives issued a joint statement pledging "the importance of identifying opportunity for collaboration and exploring long-term solutions that are financially sustainable.'' Though the idea of bringing the charter school into the district was not included in the statement, Kirk said charter representatives agreed that they would consider the proposal if the school was unable to open this month.
Kirk said the offer was an attempt to find common ground between the city and the charter school. She said that option would allow the school to renounce its charter status and morph into a district school with an alternative curriculum, led by an autonomous school board, allowed under the state's new education reform law. By including the school in its district, Kirk said the city could save about $2.4 million annually. At present, that money is now scheduled to go to the charter school beginning in five years.
Ballin said she agreed to the statement with the hope of improving Gloucester schools.
``It means a conversation,'' she said. "We have a lot of people in Gloucester who are really concerned about education, which is really fantastic. I think what it means at this point is let's get those people together and let's talk about what ideas we have that can push ourselves forward.''
Ballin said the charter school board met last Tuesday but did not discuss the proposal because the school did not receive it until the morning of the meeting. Ballin would not rule out future discussions between the city and the charter school, but reiterated that the school is on track to open Aug. 31.
The new charter school has been the subject of acrimonious debate for two years. Earlier this year, an inspector general's report stated that Paul Reville, the state's education secretary, had intervened in 2009 to have the Gloucester charter school approved. That decision was contrary to the Department of Education Charter School Office's recommendation, which was against awarding a charter to the school because it "did not meet the criteria for the final charter application.''
Also, in June, a group of parents sued the education commissioner and the Gloucester Community Arts Charter School, charging that the state had violated its own rules in issuing the charter. Since the suit was filed, the city of Gloucester has also become a plaintiff in the case.
Ballin declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Chester - the education commissioner - declined to be interviewed for this story, and his spokesman, J.C. Considine, declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Considine did say that the charter school still needs to submit a status report on several items to the state before getting final approval from Chester to open.
``Among the items on the opening procedures checklist that would be high on the list would be facility, a faculty, and a curriculum,'' said Considine.
Blackman, the charter school's executive director, said that information would be sent to the state this month. He also said the school's renovation of a former medical center in Blackburn Industrial Park is expected to be completed by November. Until then, five modular classrooms will be used.
To date, 85 students have enrolled in the school - 14 short of its maximum for the first year, which will include grades 4-7. The school is scheduled to add grades 2, 3, and 8 next year and a kindergarten and first grade the following year, for a total of 240 students.
The school also has a five-year lease at the industrial park and will pay $1.9 million in rent. The building will contain nine classrooms, a science lab, art workshop, library, and a 3,765-square-foot multipurpose room.
Blackman said the school's academic budget will be around $1 million this year, and the funding will come from the state - which will pay approximately $10,400 per pupil.

Newstex ID: BGL-1035-47501183