NYC Mayoral Control Deal Includes Some Big Wins For City Charter Schools In Ongoing Fight For Space
NYC Mayoral Control Deal Includes Some Big Wins for City Charter Schools in Ongoing Fight for Space
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s re-election victory secured a two-year extension of his control over New York City’s public schools, and in a surprising twist, it also resulted in a win for charter schools. City Hall announced on Thursday that charter schools will no longer be hindered by the existence of "zombie schools" – charters that are unused and inactive. This change means that the charter school cap will no longer be limited to only 23 schools; there is now space for an additional 45 charter schools to open. Currently, the city houses 216 charters.
As part of this new deal, charter schools will no longer be forced to split between two different locations without their permission. Additionally, the process for acquiring space in public buildings or receiving financial assistance for renting facilities will become more streamlined. Furthermore, students attending charter schools that open before regular school bus service begins will receive MetroCards for transportation. The cost of this agreement is estimated at $10 million, with $3 million being allocated for the MetroCards, according to CBS.
CEO James Merriman of the NYC Charter School Center expressed his satisfaction with the deal, stating that it was "good news" for the nearly 48,000 students currently on charter school waiting lists. Merriman also praised Governor Cuomo and Senator John Flanagan for their leadership in creating new opportunities for cooperation between the de Blasio administration and charter schools to improve the quality of education in every public school.
The issue of charter schools was a topic of intense debate during the negotiations for mayoral control, with Senate Republicans advocating for an increased charter cap and Assembly Democrats opposing it.
City Hall spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein acknowledged the importance of the charter sector in the city’s mission to provide quality education to every child, stating that they identified several areas where they could collaborate to ensure success for all 1.1 million schoolchildren in New York City.
In addition to these developments, the State University of New York Board of Trustees Charter Schools Committee approved six out of 11 proposed charter schools for the spring 2017 cycle. Four of these charter schools will be located in New York City, while two will expand the Ascend Public Charter School network in Brooklyn.
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