Source: http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume56/d16966
Timestamp: 2020-01-29 14:41:11
Document Index: 394159745

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

Decision No. 16,966 | Office of Counsel
Decision No. 16,966
Appeal of LEGACY COLLEGE PREPARATORY CHARTER SCHOOL from action of the New York City Department of Education regarding school utilization.
Arent Fox LLP, attorneys for petitioner, Carolyn M. Austin, Esq., of counsel
ELIA, Commissioner.--Petitioner, Legacy College Preparatory Charter School (“the school”), challenges the New York City Department of Education’s (“DOE” or “respondent”) failure to offer a co-location site in a public school building or space in a privately-owned or 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 in part.
According to the record, on June 13, 2016, the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY”) approved petitioner’s application to establish a charter school to serve students in grades 6 through 10 in its initial charter term. The school is scheduled to commence instruction in the 2017-2018 school year serving 120 students in grade 6.
By letter to DOE dated December 29, 2015, petitioner requested co-location in a public school building pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e) in either Community School District 7 or 8. By letter dated July 8, 2016, 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 any facilities in violation of Education Law §2853(3)(e). As relief, petitioner seeks an order directing DOE to “comply with its statutory obligations under New York Education Law § 2853(3)(e)(5), including payment to Legacy an amount that is equal to the actual rent cost of an alternative privately-owned site selected by Legacy” beginning with the 2017-2018 school year and for every school year thereafter.
Respondent disputes petitioner’s allegations and claims.
Here, the record indicates that in its July 8, 2016 response to petitioner’s request for co-location space, DOE stated that it would “not be extending an offer of space at this time.” 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 July 8, 2016 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 the term of its charter (Appeal of Rosalyn Yalow Charter School, 54 Ed Dept Rep, 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 equal to the lesser of: (A) the actual rental cost of an alternative privately owned site selected by the charter school or (B) twenty percent of the product of the charter school’s basic tuition for the current school year and (i) for a new charter school that first commences instruction on or after July first, [2014], the charter school’s current year enrollment ...” (Education Law §2853[3][e][5]).
The record in this case indicates that the school will first commence instruction in the 2017–2018 school year serving grade 6 with an estimated enrollment of 120 students. By the end of its initial charter term in the 2021-2022 school year, petitioner plans to serve students in grades 6 through 10. Accordingly, pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5), DOE must pay petitioner in each year of the initial charter term the lesser of the actual rental cost of an alternative privately-owned site selected by petitioner or 20 percent of the product of petitioner’s basic tuition for the then-current school year (e.g., the 2017-2018 school year in the first year) and petitioner’s enrollment for the then-current school year (e.g., the 2017-2018 school year in the first year). 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; the amount payable must be based on the charter school’s actual current year enrollment (Appeal of Rosalyn Yalow Charter School, 54 Ed Dept Rep, Decision No. 16,690).
In this instance, petitioner also has not been afforded the opportunity to select an alternative privately-owned site, and respondent must afford it an opportunity to do so. Petitioner must present DOE with evidence of the actual rental cost of an alternative privately-owned site so that DOE can determine whether such rental cost is less than the amount computed pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5)(B).