Source: http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume58/d17628
Timestamp: 2019-08-17 21:11:27
Document Index: 660925017

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

Decision No. 17,628 | Office of Counsel
Decision No. 17,628
Appeal of NEW DAWN CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL II from action of the New York City Department of Education regarding school utilization.
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, attorneys for petitioner, Charles Capetanakis, Esq., of counsel
Petitioner, New Dawn Charter High School II (“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 is a transfer high school authorized by the Board of Regents (“Regents”) to serve overage, under-credited students in grades 9 through 12. It is scheduled to commence instruction in the 2019-2020 school year. In its first year of operation, petitioner will serve overage, under-credited students in grade 9 and will expand each year to serve such overage, under-credited students until it serves students in grades 9 through 12.[1]
On March 25, 2019, a written request for co-location was submitted for petitioner’s grades 9 through grade 12, pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e), using DOE’s online “Portal.”[2] By letter dated March 26, 2019, DOE acknowledged petitioner’s request, but stated that it would “not be extending an offer of space at this time.” This appeal ensued.
Petitioner asserts that DOE failed to offer it co-location space in a public school building or space in another privately-owned or publicly-owned facility, at DOE’s expense and no cost to petitioner, in violation of Education Law §2853(3)(e). As relief, it seeks an order directing DOE to pay rental assistance in accordance with Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5).
Respondent admits that it did not offer space to petitioner and that petitioner is eligible for a finding in its favor.
Here, the request for co-location space for petitioner to serve grades 9 through 12 was submitted on March 25, 2019. In its March 26, 2019 response to petitioner’s request, DOE stated that it would “not be extending an offer of space at this time.” However, in response to petitioner’s request, DOE was required by Education Law §2853(3)(e)(1) to offer petitioner space in a privately-owned or publicly-owned facility at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to petitioner. As DOE has not offered any facilities at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to petitioner, it 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 petitioner rental assistance based on student enrollment in grades 9 through 12 - the grades for which the school 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 petitioner will first commence instruction in the 2019-2020 school year, serving students in grade 9, and will expand in each succeeding school year until it serves students in grades 9 through 12. Accordingly, pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5), DOE must pay petitioner for the requested grades 9 through 12 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 grades 9 through 12 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).