Source: http://www.counsel.nysed.gov/Decisions/volume59/d17763
Timestamp: 2020-02-22 06:52:26
Document Index: 765067331

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

Decision No. 17,763 | Office of Counsel
Decision No. 17,763
Appeal of NEIGHBORHOOD CHARTER SCHOOLS from action of the New York City Department of Education regarding school utilization.
Cohen Schneider Law, P.C., attorneys for petitioner, Cliff S. Schneider, Esq., of counsel
Georgia M. Pestana, Acting Corporation Counsel, attorney for respondent, Mark G. Toews, Esq., of counsel
BERLIN., Interim Commissioner.--Petitioner, Neighborhood Charter Schools, an existing education corporation with authority to operate Neighborhood Charter School: Bronx (“NCS: Bronx” or “the school”), challenges the New York City Department of Education’s (“DOE” or “respondent”) failure to offer petitioner a co-location site for the school 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 authorized by the Board of Regents (“Regents”) to operate two charter schools, including NCS: Bronx. The school is authorized to serve students in kindergarten through grade 5. It commenced instruction in the 2019-2020 school year. According to petitioner, in its first year of operation, NCS: Bronx 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]
On August 12, 2019, a written request for co-location was submitted for NCS: Bronx’s kindergarten through grade 5, pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e). By letter dated August 12, 2019, DOE acknowledged the 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 a co-location site in a public school building or space in a privately-owned or other publicly-owned facility for the school, at no cost to NCS: Bronx, 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 the school’s kindergarten through grade 5 was submitted on August 12, 2019. In its August 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 petitioner’s request, DOE was required by Education Law §2853(3)(e)(1) to offer petitioner space for the school in a privately-owned or publicly-owned facility at the expense of the city school district and at no cost to NCS: Bronx. 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).
In accordance with Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5), DOE is, therefore, required to pay petitioner rental assistance for the school based on student enrollment in kindergarten through grade 5 - 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[2] (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 NCS: Bronx first commenced instruction in the 2019-2020 school year, serving 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. Accordingly, pursuant to Education Law §2853(3)(e)(5), DOE must pay petitioner for the requested kindergarten through grade 5 for the school 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 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).