HARLEM — Parents and education leaders are fighting the proposed expansion of a charter school that shares space with a high-achieving public school, arguing the space should be reserved for the latter given its prominence as a top public school
Future Leaders Institute Charter School, the K-8 school that shares a building with P.S. 242 on West 122nd Street, wants to expand from 379 students to 450 students for the 2014-15 school year, according to DOE documents.
But public education advocates argue that the charter school's growth could hinder the potential expansion of P.S. 242, which recently received International Baccalaureate designation, at a time when the school is on a positive trajectory.
In September, P.S. 242 learned that after years of teacher training and investment in learning to teach the project-based International Baccalaureate (IB) learning philosophy, the 222-student elementary school was granted IB status. The school's principal, Denise Desjardin, believes the certification will bring the school not just local, but international attention and interest.
"We just got our IB. We want to grow now," said Theresa Hammonds, who is a parent at the school and a member of Community Education Council 3, at a council meeting Wednesday.
Hammonds argued that the designation has already sparked new interest in the school, whose DOE progress report grade has ranged over the years from a "B" to a "D," with its current grade a "B."
"At the elementary school fair they got lots of interest," she said. "We have to turn that interest into seats."
CEC 3 President Joe Fiordaliso characterized the new IB status as a "game changer" and an "investment for the school to grow."
Members worried the charter school's expansion would limit P.S. 242's ability to enroll more students and add classrooms to its footprint in the future.
"I’d like to request that the superintendent and the DOE make these people aware that [the school is] going through a transitional period," said CEC member Olaiya Deen. However, while the DOE can weigh in, any decision about the charter's expansion is ultimately in the hands of the State University of New York trustees.
Superintendent Ilene Altschul, who also attended the meeting, said she didn't have any answers as to how P.S. 242 could fend off encroachment by the charter and reserve space in the building for future use.
"You really have to make your voices heard at the hearing," she said, referencing an upcoming DOE hearing on the proposed expansion.
Without any commitment of help from the DOE, members agreed that turning up in large numbers for the Dec. 16 hearing on the charter's expansion is crucial.
"Once they have that space, they have it," said Hammonds.
The principal of Future Leaders, whose only location is in the West 122nd Street complex, assured that the expansion would only boost class sizes and wouldn't affect the charter's use of building space.
"We are not looking for more space within the building. We do not have growth plans beyond the number we have requested for consideration," said Principal Ismael Colon in an email.
The principal of P.S. 242 did not respond to request for comment.
The DOE hearing on the charter school's expansion will be held on Dec. 16 at the school at 134 W. 122nd St., with speaker sign-in beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the presentation and comment period beginning at 6 p.m.
