SRC poised to greenlight six charter schools

The Philadelphia School Reform Commission appears poised to approve seven new charter schools, six of which would open this fall.

Last spring, the Philadelphia School District's governing body gave conditional approval to the seven, saying they could open only if the district could afford them.

But yesterday, the commission heard a recommendation to greenlight the Arise Academy Charter School, Eastern University Charter School, Franklin Towne Charter School, KIPP West Philadelphia Preparatory Charter School, Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School, and Tacony Academy Charter School for a September opening.

The only charter that will not open this fall, Philadelphia Polytechnic Charter School, needs more time to develop a curriculum. It would be able to open in fall 2010, said Benjamin Rayer, the district's associate superintendent for charter schools.

The district will pay the six charters a total of $13.3 million this year to educate 1,360 students, district officials said. The cost to the district will be less in the 2010-11 school year - about $11.8 million, thanks to the state's reimbursement of 42 percent of per-student charter school costs.

Commission Chairwoman Sandra Dungee Glenn said the district needed the additional time to "be more strategic about the growth of charter schools." Rather than approving schools haphazardly, the district should grant charters to schools that plug holes in its own services, Dungee Glenn said.

"We didn't know to do this at the beginning of the charter movement," said Dungee Glenn. "We know that we have gaps in quality and access across the district."

Three of the schools - Tacony Academy, Franklin Towne and Sankofa Freedom - will relieve school overcrowding in the Lower Northeast and Frankford.

Arise Academy, will serve children in foster care on a campus to be located in Center City, and Eastern University Academy (East Falls), Philadelphia Polytechnic (South Philadelphia), and KIPP West Philadelphia will offer new options to students in areas of the city where many traditional public schools are failing.

Leaving the commission meeting yesterday, charter school board members and supporters exchanged smiles and hugs. Many of the seven began their application process in 2006.

Ayesha Imani, a founding board member of the Sankofa Freedom school, a K-12 college preparatory school, said that after waiting so long, "I'm still in shock."

If as expected the commission votes to approve the charter next week, "everything's going into hyper speed," Imani said - raising money for renovations, securing real estate, hiring teachers, recruiting students.

Jill Welsh Davis, president of Arise Academy, the school for foster-care children, had worried that she would lose $300,000 annually in grant money if the district dragged its feet. She said she was now optimistic the state would release funds.

Currently, 63 charter schools operate in Philadelphia, serving more than 34,000 students.