State Budget Set to Divert Public School Funds for Charter School Rent
The proposed budget bill was posted online overnight. The bill will require the NYC public schools to either allow space for new or expanding charter schools in our buildings or pay for market-rate rent out of our budget. Parents should contact their Assembly member and insist they vote against this bill. The loss of funds diverted to charters will come directly from our classrooms.
Links to the bill can be found on the Assembly web site here.
Language on rent can be found on page 71:
Links to the bill can be found on the Assembly web site here.
Language on rent can be found on page 71:
21 S 5. Subdivision 3 of section 2853 of the education law is amended by
22 adding a new paragraph (e) to read as follows:
23 (E) IN A CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN A CITY HAVING A POPULATION OF ONE
24 MILLION OR MORE INHABITANTS, CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT FIRST COMMENCE
25 INSTRUCTION OR THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SPACE DUE TO AN EXPANSION OF
26 GRADE LEVEL, PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE, APPROVED BY THEIR CHARTER ENTITY
27 FOR THE TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN--TWO THOUSAND FIFTEEN SCHOOL YEAR OR THER-
28 EAFTER AND REQUEST CO-LOCATION IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING SHALL BE
29 PROVIDED ACCESS TO FACILITIES PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH FOR SUCH CHAR-
30 TER SCHOOLS THAT FIRST COMMENCE INSTRUCTION OR THAT REQUIRE ADDITIONAL
31 SPACE DUE TO AN EXPANSION OF GRADE LEVEL, PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE,
32 APPROVED BY THEIR CHARTER ENTITY FOR THOSE GRADES NEWLY PROVIDED.
33 (1) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW TO THE CONTRARY, WITHIN
34 THE LATER OF (I) FIVE MONTHS AFTER A CHARTER SCHOOL'S WRITTEN REQUEST
35 FOR CO-LOCATION AND (II) THIRTY DAYS AFTER THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S CHARTER
36 IS APPROVED BY ITS CHARTER ENTITY, THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL
37 EITHER: (A) OFFER AT NO COST TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL A CO-LOCATION SITE IN
38 A PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AS PROVIDED
39 BY LAW, OR (B) OFFER THE CHARTER SCHOOL SPACE IN A PRIVATELY OWNED OR
40 OTHER PUBLICLY OWNED FACILITY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
41 AND AT NO COST TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL. THE SPACE MUST BE REASONABLE,
42 APPROPRIATE AND COMPARABLE AND IN THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BE
43 SERVED BY THE CHARTER SCHOOL AND OTHERWISE IN REASONABLE PROXIMITY.