By Benjamin Herold and Katie McCabe
For the second time in as many weeks, Philadelphia’s School Reform Commission took issue with key information shared by the District’s Office of Charter Schools, resulting in the temporary withdrawal of a resolution that would have approved another five years of operation for Belmont Elementary Charter School.
A related resolution for a facilities license for the school was also withdrawn. The SRC voted unanimously to renew the charter of nearby Belmont Academy, which serves preschoolers and kindergartners.
Friday’s controversy, however, focused on the fate of Belmont Elementary, a K-8 charter that functions as the neighborhood school for students living in the surrounding Mantua neighborhood and also serves a significant population of homeless students.
During a formal presentation to the SRC, Thomas Darden, the District’s deputy for
