District Panel OKs Two Charter Schools: They Will Open in Sept. 2007. The School Reform Commission Also Granted Renewals and Expansions

By Susan Snyder, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Feb. 16–The Philadelphia School Reform Commission yesterday approved two charter schools to open in September 2007 and granted renewals and expansions for several others.

Planet Abacus Charter School, which will focus on science, math and technology, is to be constructed in the central-east area and enroll students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Its applicant, June Hairston Brown, runs two other charters in the district. Planet Abacus will open with 400 students and grow to 700.

Also approved was Antonia Pantoja Community Charter School, to be built at 4101 N. American St. The school will eventually enroll 700 students spanning kindergarten through eighth grade. The school will be run by the Latino advocacy group Aspira Inc., offer its curriculum in both Spanish and English, and infuse lessons with the historical and social experiences of Puerto Ricans living in the United States and in the Caribbean.

The commission also approved a renewal and expansion for the World Communications Charter School, which in 2001 was in danger of being shut down by the district. The school, which teaches grades six through eight, will expand through 12th grade and eventually enroll 700 students; it will add a second site to accommodate the growth.

District officials noted that the school had made adequate yearly progress under the federal No Child Left Behind law in the last two years.

The commission granted charter renewals to the Community Academy of Philadelphia, Harambee Institute of Technology, West Philadelphia Achievement Charter School, and YouthBuild Philadelphia. And it gave an amendment to the Northwood Academy Charter, which opened this year, to increase enrollment by 100.

In another vote, the commission agreed to convert Shoemaker Middle School to a charter school to be run by Mastery Charter School.

Philadelphia schools chief Paul Vallas said many of the charter approvals would help alleviate overcrowding in the district.

Fifty-five charter schools are operating in the city this year.

Also at yesterday’s meeting, the commission approved the purchase of a $4 million automated school attendance and monitoring system that will use smart cards, which have embedded chips.

The system will help with security at the high schools, officials said. Each student’s card also will contain his or her class roster and health information and can be expanded for other uses.

Contact staff writer Susan Snyder at 215-854-4693 or ssnyder@phillynews.com.

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