SCHENECTADY Charter school idea draws concern Officials consider using building for city district BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net
Opposition from neighbors may make city school officials less inclined to explore reusing the old Draper School — currently the home of the International Charter School of Schenectady. ICSS will be shutting down at the end of the academic after the State University of New York Board of Trustees voted not to renew the organization’s charter. Schenectady school officials had initially considered trying to reuse the building for the district’s own students. Superintendent Eric Ely said Tuesday that option is less attractive now. At a Rotterdam Town Board discussion last week, about a half dozen neighbors expressed concerns about excessive traffi c, windblown trash and other problems, in the more than two years the charter school has been located there. “They’re not really thrilled with the idea of us going in there. I appreciate it. It’s their neighborhood. It is one of the factors that we’ll have to weigh,” Ely said. However, the option is not off the table entirely, as the district looks to integrate the roughly 585 students back into city schools. Another issue is that the building lies technically in the Mohonasen School District and would require legislative action for Schenectady to send students there. Also, the International Charter School of Schenectady owes about $6.8 million on the structure. Ely said he is still working on some negotiations to free up some other properties in the district for potential school use. He was not prepared to discuss them. ICSS President Tracy Petersen said Monday there was no specifi c time frame for getting a new tenant for the building. Northeast Parent and Child Society previously expressed interest in being part of an effort to start a new community charter school. Laura Alpert, director of communications for the organization, said she could not comment at this point. “We are just in the preliminary stages at this point of deciding whether or not to even consider opening a charter school and by the end of 2008, we plan to have made a decision,” she said. Alpert said the organization has not filed any application with the Charter Schools Institute — the oversight agency for charter schools. In July, Northeast officials said they were part of a group including retired educators and other community leaders who were looking to submit an application to the Charter Schools Institute. Peter Stoll, vice president of career development, said at the time the school would be an extension of the services the society offers. The School at Northeast serves about 140 students ages 10 to 18 and the organization also runs YouthBuild Schenectady, which offers a construction training program for high school dropouts. Meanwhile, the city school district continues its dispute with ICSS over finances. ICSS offi cials are seeking about $887,000 in pupil aid it says the Schenectady School District withheld. The city pays roughly $9,500 per student per year. Ely said the school is not providing the proof of residency it requires. “We’re not going to pay them until we get the proof of residency,” he said.
Don’t print bogus claims about Sch’dy charter school
Re the March 22 article, “Neighbors: School resulted in ‘chaos’” by Justin Mason: I’m a teacher at the International Charter School and proud of it. It’s bad enough that we have to deal with the Charter Schools Institute making unsubstantiated claims about our school and its employees, now we have to deal with neighbors making absurd, unsubstantiated claims. I have worked at this school for fi ve years. This is the most irresponsible piece of reporting that I have ever read. I read your paper daily, and until I was involved in one of your stories I never experienced such bias. How can your paper report such unsubstantiated claims as “garbage choking adjacent streets.” Do you really believe for that if garbage from our school was choking local streets that the town of Rotterdam wouldn’t have done something, or that your paper wouldn’t have reported on it before now? How believable is the neighbor’s claims that we didn’t clear our sidewalks of snow, or that the “ever-changing staff” at the school had any impact on neighbors? I [recall] the last town meetings regarding our move into the Draper Building, and we have lived up to expectations detailed by the town. We may have had a light shining into a neighbor’s window, and traffic twice a day may be a problem, but beyond that this article was pure fiction. Why don’t the neighbors just admit the real problem? As stated by several concerned neighbors before we moved into the Draper building, their real problem with our school was that they didn’t want “those” children in their neighborhood. They were concerned that the children at our school would have the run of the neighborhood which, of course, they don’t because we have a closed campus. I’m sure that talk of the Schenectady school district taking over the building will cause neighbors the same concern. Yes, those same students would be enrolled at this school. If you could find one substantiated claim that one of our students caused a disturbance or harm to the neighborhood, then you would have a story. But until then, I wish that the Daily Gazette would stick to reporting the facts and only the facts. LINDA BROWN Delanson
ROTTERDAM Parents ponder education options Charter, parochial schools touted at information meeting BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Parents of students currently at the International Charter School of Schenectady were school shopping on Wednesday, as they sought other options for their children for next year. About 50 parents attended an informational meeting held at the former Draper School to learn about the Albany charter schools and a few parochial schools. ICSS is closing at the end of the academic year. Parents talked with school representatives at tables in the gymnasium. Many of the schools require uniforms, offer extended-day programs and a variety of activities. Lorrie Robinson, who was looking for a school for her 10-year-old daughter Sade Payne, said she liked that charter schools make the students wear uniforms. “It keeps them not so much focused on material things,” she said. However, she worried about the transportation to Albany. Schenectady School District officials have said they will not bus students out of district, except for special education. Parents would be stuck with providing transportation unless the Albany charter schools offer busing, which some are considering. ICSS has roughly 557 students currently. Nearly all are residents of Schenectady. Dennis Bye, a seventh-grade science teacher at Albany Preparatory Academy, a fifth- through seventh-grade school, said the school would consider busing students if they had sufficient numbers. He explained that the school has about 150 students who are focused on getting ready for college. The students wear uniforms and are not allowed to wear jewelry or makeup. They have small classes of 15 students each for English and math. Achievement Academy Principal O’Rita Swan said her fifth- through eighth-grade school is also considering busing. Her school offers an extended day from 8:30 to 5 p.m. and they focus on a curriculum promoting hard work and respect. Lillian Turner, principal of Henry Johnson Charter School, said character education is the centerpiece of its curriculum. “Children need to develop habits of character and values that are going to support their academic activities,” she said. It also features three hours daily of literacy instruction in addition to the core subject areas. The school currently has 115 students in kindergarten and first grade, but ultimately hopes to expand to fourth grade. Andrea Ralph, assistant principal of New Covenant Charter School — a kindergarten through sixthgrade school — said the school offers swimming, etiquette instruction for women, chess club and other activities. The school day runs from 7:30 to 4 p.m. and after school activities from 4 to 5:30 p.m. It also offers school on Saturday and on holidays. K.I.P.P. Tech Valley School — a fifth- through eighth-grade school, also has Saturday instruction. Neal Currie, principal of the Albany Community Charter School, which offers kindergarten through second-grade instruction, said the school tries to promote a community feeling, safe environment and high expectations. Also attending were representatives from St. Helen’s School, St. John the Evangelist and Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons. Sister Mary Joseph, a third-grade teacher at St. Helen’s — a kindergarten through fifth-grade school — said they are holding open enrollment. They offer a variety of before- and after-school activities including computers, Karen Southerland said she believes her daughter was getting a better education at the charter school. She said the teachers at city schools do not listen and there are fights. Safety was also a concern for Katiria Couvertier, who has three children attending ICSS. She said she really does not want them going to public schools, which she said have a reputation for violence and drugs. Another parent, Jahaira Acosta, said the public schools do not offer the individual attention to the students. “They’re just a number and money,” she said. ICSS Board President Tracy Petersen said she put her own daughter in the charter school because she was not satisfied with the safety and climate at public schools. Petersen said the charter school is trying to arrange a forum for the public schools to come and talk since this forum was just for charter and religious schools.
Posted on: 03/26/08 Ross Marvin, Spotlight Staff email: marvinr@spotlightnews.com
For the past several years, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for Dale Monini to return to his Draper Avenue home to find his street crowded with traffic, cars parked in front of his driveway and piles of cigarette butts in his yard.
Monini said his residential problems arose when the International Charter School of Schenectady moved across the street in June 2006.
“It’s chaos,” said Monini. “It’s not that the kids were ever a problem, but the staff and parents — it’s just total disrespect.”
Monini said he complained to the school several times about a bright halogen light that shone through the window of his daughter’s room at night. It wasn’t until Monini hired a lawyer that the school put a shield on the light.
On Thursday, March 20, Monini and a small group of neighbors voiced their concerns to the town board about the fate of the old Draper School building.
The State University’s board of trustees has ordered the charter school to close at the end of the school year, and Monini and his neighbors want to ensure another school doesn’t take up residency on their street, and they’re urging the town to take control.
According to Saleem Cheeks, a spokesman for ICSS, the future of the school building is still unclear.
“It’s an ongoing process,” said Cheeks who noted that the school currently owes $7 million on the property to creditors.
“Our options include the sale of the property, leasing the property or turning the property over to First Niagara Bank,” said Cheeks.
First Niagara Bank holds a majority of the school’s debt.
Monini’s neighbors, who wished not to be identified, said they were tired of finding their front lawns covered with blown garbage, and the sidewalks in front of the school covered in snow during the winter. They complained of noise and said that the school’s presence was bringing down the value of their homes.
“We just don’t want to see a school there again,” said Monini who said he’d like to see something that would be welcomed by the neighborhood and would restore his street to the peaceful enclave it once was.
Supervisor Steven Tommasone said he and the town attorneys would compile a packet of information containing documents presented to the planning commission before the school was approved for the board. He said board members would look at the ownership of the property.
“It’s understandable that the residents are concerned,” said Tommasone. “Years ago, that was a neighborhood school and there was no busing — the kids walked. The traffic issues and others are concerns for the town board because we’re concerned about the quality of life of our residents.”
Tommasone said the building will not remain vacant. He said that in the past, the Draper School was used as office space. He said this could be a viable option in the future.
Councilman John Silva reassured residents that the town would do what it could to ensure the next use of the Draper School won’t have a negative impact on Draper Avenue residents.
“We’re going to do everything we can not to make the same mistake again,” said Silva.
I do not live by this charter school but know some that do. I also frequent that street. Sometimes in the morning when the kids are dropped off and sometimes when they are being let out. Honestly, I have never seen ANY misbehavior from the students. Actually, I see them more behaved than at some public schools. Nor do I ever see the garbage that they speak of.
Again, I don't live there 24/7, but my experience has always been favorable.
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil, The Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Oh Snap, Silva is admitting Paolino made a mistake?? No wonder hell is freezing over.
This will be interesting to say the least. We already know that the Schenectady school system is looking for another building to put their overflow of kids. We'll have to wait to see how this will be played out.
Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil, The Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.
It used to be, folks liked to live by schools raised property values and promoted community----what has happened to our foundation.....oh, it was 'purchased' by someone else and sold at auction to babysitters,unions,credit cards, subprime mortgages, fast food etc..........
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Schenectady schools at odds over payments Charter officials say the district still owes more than $300,000; city demanding proof of student residency
By LAUREN STANFORTH, Staff writer First published: Monday, March 31, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- The city school district has filed a petition in state Supreme Court in Albany to keep the International Charter School of Schenectady from recouping hundreds of thousands of dollars the school says it is owed. The Schenectady City School District on March 27 filed a legal action that challenges the state Education Department's ruling that city schools must pay the charter school for city students enrolled there.
Schenectady School Superintendent Eric Ely says the district shouldn't have to pay for students if the charter school does not provide documentation that shows they are city residents. Charter school officials have said they've provided all the proof necessary. "I'm not going to send them money until I get appropriate documentation," Ely said. City schools pay about $9,500 annually per city pupil enrolled in the charter school. The SUNY board of trustees decided to close the International Charter School of Schenectady as of June because of poor curriculum and languishing test scores. But the charter school is billing the school district until then. The city school district did not pay the charter school's full October bill, claiming that all city students weren't appropriately documented. The charter school in return sought from the state Education Department full payment of the bill. The state ruled in the charter school's favor, ordering the district to pay $741,601. The charter school says the city schools still owe $339,579 from a January/February bill, according to state Education Department documents. Tracy Petersen, president of the charter school's board of trustees, said she didn't know the exact figure Sunday, but said it's likely more money is owed by the city. "We'll let the process play out," said Saleem Cheeks, the charter school's spokesman. "(Ely) made the same argument last time and the state agreed with us." City schools' attorney Shari Greenleaf said arguments are scheduled to be heard April 25. Meanwhile, the state Charter School Institute has begun meeting with the charter school's board to orchestrate the school's closing. Lauren Stanforth can be reached at 454-5697 or by e-mail at lstanforth@timesunion.com.
SCHENECTADY District plans on new facility for charter students Some will also go to Keane Elementary BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
The city school district plans to use the new William C. Keane Elementary School and leased buildings to house returning students from the International Charter School of Schenectady. The Rotterdam-based school is closing down at the end of June after the State University of New York Board of Trustees voted last month not to renew its charter because of poor academic performance. City Superintendent of Schools Eric Ely told the Board of Education on Wednesday that this plan assumes a scenario of all the ICSS students returning to the district. Ely said his goals are to make sure class sizes did not increase substantially. The district has been trying to reduce class sizes — now 28 to 30 — to 18 to 28. He also wanted to keep the charter school students near their neighborhoods. “We don’t really want to be busing students across town every day,” he said. Ely said the roughly 80 charter school students in the Van Corlaer and the roughly 61 students in the Hamilton attendance zones will be assigned to a “newly acquired facility.” Those in the Pleasant Valley zone will be assigned either to this facility or the new William C. Keane Elementary School, at the former St. Luke’s School. The district hopes to lease two facilities. However, he said could not name them because it could affect negotiations. A total of 194 charter school students in the Keane, Woodlawn and Yates zones would also all be assigned to Keane. Nine students from the Paige Elementary School zone would go to Paige. The closing of the charter school would send roughly 82 students to Mont Pleasant Middle School, 23 to Central Park Middle School and 13 to Oneida Middle School, he said. Ely said any charter school family with incoming kindergarten children would have the option of sending them to the Fulton Early Childhood Learning Center or their neighborhood elementary. Additional prekindergarten classes and special education classes may be made with newly acquired space. Also, the district will not split up families and force children to go to different schools. The board seemed to like the plan. “I’m happy to see we’re trying to keep class size down and keep kids close to home,” said board member Maxine Brisport. However, Board President Jeff Janiszewski said he would like to see more of an effort to use Yates School, which he believes is underutilized. Ely said he is going to continue to refine the plan. Board member Linda Bellick said she wanted to make sure whatever facilities the district leases would be made to feel like a school. “I don’t want them to be stepchildren,” she said. Ely said if the district acquires both facilities, the tentative plan is to have them under their own principal with two deans in each building and appropriate support staff. The board did not continue its budget discussion because Ely said he is waiting for the state budget to be completed to get a better idea of the revenues the district will receive.
ROTTERDAM ICSS: City district owes $1.5M Charter school being paid directly by state BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net.
The International Charter School of Schenectady and the Schenectady City School District continue their months-long dispute over education payments, as ICSS offi - cials Monday said the district owes more than $1.3 million. The city district pays roughly $9,500 per month for every student attending the Rotterdam-based charter school, which is scheduled to close down at the end of June. Superintendent Eric Ely has said previously that the city did not send the funds because ICSS officials did not provide proper documentation about the number of enrolled students. Late last month, the state Comptroller’s Office sent $339,704 to make up for aid that charter school officials said Schenectady did not pay in January. ICSS filed what is known as an “intercept” to recover that money and on April 24 the state paid the charter school directly — bypassing the city school district. ICSS Business Lori Veshia said the school hopes to receive another $520,000 payment from the state for delinquent March funds soon. She added that the city school district did not pay its roughly $830,000 bill due May 1, so ICSS would fi le another intercept after waiting the required 30 days. Charter school officials said this money is critical for the school to stay open. She said since November, the Schenectady City School District has only paid for about 336 students. Veshia said the number of students the city claims to lack documentation for is about 20. ICSS attorney Harold Gordon said the city school district is engaging in “pettiness” and the amount of money in dispute is not worth disrupting the school’s finances. “Everyone concedes that 95 percent of the students at this school are residents of the City of Schenectady,” he said. Board member Sheridan Biggs pointed out that the school is in a precarious position. “If we don’t get the money through the intercepts, we’re out of business,” he said. Veshia said with the most recent monies coming in, the charter school should be able to pay its bills through the end of the academic year. City school officials could not be reached for comment on Monday evening. The Schenectady School District has already filed a lawsuit against the state Education Department over the first intercept payment of $740,000 that the state sent in January for a November bill. The case was scheduled to be heard last month in Albany Supreme Court, but that has been rescheduled to May 23. In other business, the ICSS Board of Trustees voted on Tuesday to negotiate an agreement with Prudential Blake Atlantic Realtors to list the school building. No asking price has been set yet. President Tracy Petersen said she hopes to have a new buyer by the end of 2008 so the school can pay down its $6.8 million debt. Both Rotterdam town officials and the Mohonasen School District has expressed interest in the building, which was once home to Draper School. Petersen said nobody from Mohonasen has contacted them.
SCHENECTADY City district to pay charter school bill BY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Goot at 395-3105 or mgoot@dailygazette.net.
City school officials said Tuesday they plan to pay $485,000 owed to the International Charter School of Schenectady after receiving documentation about the number of enrolled students there. The city pays about $9,500 per pupil for each city student enrolled at the charter school, which is closing at the end of June. ICSS officials provided documentation about the students from the city, which city district officials had been questioning. Superintendent Eric Ely said the district has cut a check for the roughly 340 students for which it now has paperwork. “There was never an intent not to give them what they were in theory owed,” he said. He said the school district still lacks documentation for some students and it will not give payments without that paperwork. “It takes a forensic accountant to figure out the paperwork we’ve been given,” he said. Ely said district officials still believe they will have overpaid the charter school during the year. He said the district is receiving a bill for about 560 to 580 students, even though school officials said enrollment dropped to about 537, according to school officials. He said the state would have to reimburse the district if it prevails in its legal challenge. It has filed a lawsuit against the state Comptroller’s Office for sending funds to ICSS — bypassing the city school district. ICSS President Tracy Petersen said she has a mixed feeling about the payment. “They’re still underpaying us and I think the Schenectady School District should pay their bill on time.” She said there should be no dispute with the number of students. She said charter school officials keep submitting documentation and Schenectady does not accept it. The charter school bills the city school district every two months for students. ICSS has filed three “intercepts” to get the state to send it money it is owed. In January, it received a payment for $740,000 for the November bill. Late last month, it received a payment of $339,704 for the January bill. ICSS Business Manager Lori Veshia said she hoped another intercept payment of $520,000 for March would come soon. As for the enrollment figures, Petersen said the school is required to submit documentation at a certain date, even if the enrollment later drops. Earlier this year, the charter school had to adjust its budget and even lay off teachers because of the drop from the projected 721 students it was to have at the beginning of the year. Petersen said she hoped that other charter schools would not have to go through this amount of hassle. “You’re going to see charter schools closing,” he said.
Closing charter site cries foul Failed school contends money due; Schenectady schools chief hits figures
By PAUL NELSON, Staff writer First published: Thursday, May 8, 2008
SCHENECTADY -- The president of the International Charter School of Schenectady insisted Wednesday the institution is still owed more than $300,000, although the city school district just paid $485,000 in a financial dispute over student enrollment. Tracy Petersen, ICCS board of trustees president, contends the latest payment from the district is based on only 304 students when in fact the K-8 charter school in Rotterdam had 532 students on its rolls as of last Monday.
But city schools chief Eric Ely repeated assertions Wednesday that charter school officials have been inflating enrollment figures and in essence ripping off the Schenectady district. "It's patently unfair to taxpayers, and in my estimation it's legalized fraud," Ely said, adding he believed the district has overpaid upwards of a million dollars. "The discrepancy has been based on those students we don't have legal (residency) documentation for." Ely said the charter school on Friday provided additional residency documents to the district which the district subsequently confirmed before cutting the check. The $485,000 payment is enough to get the ICCS through the remainder of the school year, but the board plans to seek the additional money Petersen contends hasn't been paid. In February, the state recommended that ICCS close its doors citing the charter school's financial instability. Petersen believes the money problems with Schenectady contributed to ICCS's demise and that the state should take a loser look at the payment arrangements. "We don't owe them nothing," Petersen said. "The Schenectady school district and ICCS are probably test-case bunnies for how you close down a charter school." Enrollment at the charter school steadily increased from 267 students when it first opened in Schenectady's former Fulton Elementary School building in the fall of 2002 as a K-4 school. The school moved to a larger home, the former Draper school, across the city line in Rotterdam in 2006. The state Department of Education did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Paul Nelson can be reached at 454-5347 or by e-mail at pnelson@timesunion.com.
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