One Charter School Approved, Another Revoked
by Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The School Reform Commission giveth, and it taketh away. The SRC approved an application for one charter school, and revoked the charter of another.
Belmont Charter School, currently K-8 near 41st and Brown Streets in West Philadelphia, is now able to set up a similarly-run community oriented high school, beginning with 75 9th graders in the 2017-2018 school year.
It's secured a building at 1301 Belmont Avenue with the idea of growing by one additional grade each year.
Belmont Charter CEO Jennifer Faustman says they're able to reach students who come to school with barriers to overcome "through our health center, after school programs, enrichment, social services, and other programs. That's what makes us unique."
Meantime, the SRC is telling World Communications Charter School at Broad and South Streets to surrender its charter, due to persistent low performance in key categories, including academic success. It found WCCS's proficiency was below District, Charter, and peer averages among the 6th through 12th graders.
Take math for 6th to 8th graders, according to DawnLynne Kacer, Executive Director of Charter Schools.
"The school under-performed peers in 17 of 18 categories over the three years for which we have data," she said.
She says looking at data for the last three years, for college readiness, only six 12th graders scored college ready on the school's SAT or ACT tests.
It means WCCS's 500 students and their families will be scrambling to find schools, beginning in September.
