Not quite halfway through its first year, the fledgling school has struggled with problems stemming from its temporary home, the lack of a permanent school chief and the sheer logistics of starting a school in a matter of weeks. In December, fed-up parents complained about crowding, staff shortages and a sense of chaos at the school. In response, New Covenant trustees said they would give Advantage Schools two months to fix the problem, or they would find a new management company. A verification of student addresses showed that four children came from outside Albany. Reed said Advantage was looking into how to bill the students' home districts.
Efforts are under way to lease three modular units for more classrooms and bathrooms.
The school will need additional land and zoning board approval. In response to concerns over class size and special ed, the school is hiring seven instructional aides. A professional development coordinator who has been filling in as needed in classrooms will now focus on teacher training. Advantage was looking into staff requests to have access to the state Teachers Retirement System. Catching up will be a priority.