Source: http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume57/d17209
Timestamp: 2020-07-16 14:59:29
Document Index: 649937503

Matched Legal Cases: ['§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853', '§2853']

Decision No. 17,209 | Office of Counsel
Decision No. 17,209
Appeal of CARDINAL MCCLOSKEY COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL from action of the New York City Department of Education regarding school utilization.
ELIA, Commissioner.--Petitioner, Cardinal McCloskey Community Charter School (“the school”), challenges the New York City Department of Education’s (“DOE” or “respondent”) failure to offer it a co-location site in a public school building or space in a privately-owned or other publicly-owned facility at DOE’s expense and at no cost to petitioner, as required by Education Law §2853(3)(e). The appeal must be sustained.
Petitioner’s application to operate a charter school was approved by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY”) in June 2017. It has been approved to serve students in kindergarten through grade 5 in Community School District (“CSD”) 10. The school is scheduled to commence instruction in the 2018-2019 school year serving students in kindergarten and grade 1, and will expand one grade level in each succeeding school year until it serves students in kindergarten through grade 5.
By letter to DOE dated August 8, 2017, petitioner requested co-location in a public school building pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e). By letter dated August 10, 2017, DOE acknowledged petitioner’s request, but stated that it would “not be extending an offer of space at this time.”[1] This appeal ensued.
Petitioner asserts that DOE failed to offer it any facilities in violation of Education Law §2853(3)(e). As relief, it seeks an order directing DOE to comply with Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5) and pay rental assistance, beginning with the 2018-2019 school year and continuing thereafter, in an amount attributable to the formation of the new charter school that is equal to the lesser of the actual rental cost of an alternative privately-owned site selected by petitioner or thirty (30) percent[2] of the product of petitioner’s basic tuition for the current school year and petitioner’s current year enrollment.
Here, respondent admits that it has not offered co-located space to petitioner. However, in the event that DOE did not offer petitioner a co-location site in a public school building, it was nevertheless required by Education Law §2853(3)(e)(1) to offer petitioner space in a privately-owned or other publicly-owned facility at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to petitioner. Instead, DOE indicated in its August 10, 2017 response only that it would not be extending an offer of space. As it did not offer petitioner space in a privately-owned or other publicly-owned facility at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to petitioner, DOE failed to comply with the requirements of Education Law §2853(3)(e)(1).
In accordance with Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5), DOE is therefore required to pay rental assistance based on student enrollment in all grades for which petitioner has been approved to provide instruction during its current charter term and any subsequent renewal term, provided that, in any such renewal term, the charter school serves the grades encompassed by the charter referenced herein[3] (see Appeal of Our World Neighborhood Charter School, 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 17,065; Appeal of Uncommon New York City Charter School, 56 id., Decision No. 17,010; Appeal of Rosalyn Yalow Charter School, 54 id., Decision No. 16,690). I note that Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5) provides for rental assistance based on current school year enrollment, not the enrollment projections set forth in the charter, for each year of the charter term. Specifically, with respect to a new charter school “if the appeal results in a determination in favor of the charter school, the city school district shall pay the charter school an amount attributable to ... the formation of the new charter school...” that is calculated in accordance with the formula set forth in Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5).
The record in this case indicates that the school will first commence instruction in the 2018–2019 school year serving students in kindergarten and grade 1. It will expand one grade level each succeeding school year until it serves students in kindergarten through grade 5. Accordingly, pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5), DOE must pay petitioner in each year of the charter term and any subsequent renewal term, provided that, in any such renewal term, the charter school serves the grades encompassed by the charter referenced herein, an amount attributable to the formation of the new charter school that is calculated in accordance with the formula set forth in Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5). As noted above, DOE is obligated to pay for all the grades in the newly-opened charter school in each year of the initial charter term and any subsequent renewal term, provided that, in any such renewal term, the charter school serves the grades encompassed by the charter referenced herein; the amount payable must be based on the charter school’s actual current year enrollment (see Appeal of Our World Neighborhood Charter School, 56 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 17,065; Appeal of Uncommon New York City Charter School, 56 id., Decision No. 17,010; Appeal of Rosalyn Yalow Charter School, 54 id., Decision No. 16,690).
[1] According to petitioner’s head of school, as a result of DOE’s failure to offer space, the school will incur rental costs and expenses.
[2] Effective July 1, 2017, Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5) was amended to increase the percentage in the rental assistance formula from 20 percent to 30 percent.