Source: http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume58/d17647
Timestamp: 2019-06-19 13:34:23
Document Index: 447022483

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

Decision No. 17,647 | Office of Counsel
Decision No. 17,647
Appeal of ASCEND CHARTER SCHOOLS, on behalf of CENTRAL BROOKLYN ASCEND CHARTER SCHOOL 4, from action of the New York City Department of Education regarding school utilization.
ELIA, Commissioner.--Petitioner, Ascend Charter Schools, an existing education corporation with authority to operate Central Brooklyn Ascend Charter School 4 (“CBACS 4” or “the school”), challenges the New York City Department of Education’s (“DOE” or “respondent”) failure to offer the school 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 the school, as required by Education Law §2853(3)(e). The appeal must be sustained.
Petitioner is authorized by the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York (“SUNY”) to operate multiple charter schools, including CBACS 4. CBACS 4 is authorized to serve students in kindergarten through grade 5. It is scheduled to commence instruction in the 2019-2020 school year. In its first year of operation, CBACS 4 will serve students in kindergarten and grade 1, and will add one grade level in each succeeding school year until it serves students in kindergarten through grade 5.[1]
Petitioner asserts that DOE failed to offer facilities to the school and that respondent violated Education Law §2853(3)(e) because DOE was required to offer CBACS 4 a co-location site in a public school building or space in a privately-owned or other publicly-owned facility, at DOE’s expense. As relief, it seeks an order directing DOE to pay rental assistance to the school in accordance with Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5).
Respondent admits that petitioner is eligible for a finding in its favor.
Petitioner asserts that DOE failed to offer a co-location site in a public school building or space in a privately-owned or other publicly-owned facility for CBACS 4, at no cost to the school, in violation of Education Law §2853(3)(e). Education Law §2853(3)(e) provides that, in the City School District of the City of New York, charter schools that are approved by their charter entity to first commence instruction for the 2014–2015 school year or thereafter and request co-location in a public school building shall be provided access to facilities. The statute also requires that, within the later of five months after a charter school’s written request for co-location and 30 days after the charter school’s charter is approved by the charter entity, the city school district shall offer the charter school either a co-location site in a public school building approved by the board of education as provided by law at no cost to the charter school, or space in a privately-owned or other publicly-owned facility at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to the charter school (Education Law §2853[3][e][1]).
Here, the request for co-location space for CBACS 4’s kindergarten through grade 5 was submitted on April 8, 2019. In its April 12, 2019 response to the request, DOE stated that it would “not be extending an offer of space at this time.” However, in response to the request, DOE was required by Education Law §2853(3)(e)(1) to offer CBACS 4 space in a privately-owned or publicly-owned facility at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to the school. As DOE has not offered any facilities at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to the school, it failed to comply with the requirements of Education Law §2853(3)(e)(1).
The record in this case indicates that CBACS 4 will first commence instruction in the 2019-2020 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. Accordingly, pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5), DOE must pay the school for the requested kindergarten through grade 5 in each year of CBACS 4’s 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 kindergarten through grade 5 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).
IT IS ORDERED that DOE comply with the requirements of Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5) in accordance with this decision and pay CBACS 4 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).