Sagan: bar is very high for this; "it would be an unwieldy situtation" if everyone appealed to the Commissioner
"that is really what is happening here repeatedly"
Backup
Sagan reminds Board that they need not take any action (which would confirm Commissioner's action)
Wulfson: no presentation from DESE; up to school to present case
"I like this school...wish their model was one that more would follow"
"all schools are faced with some demographic issues"
"think it's a premature request until they've come close to using up their seats"
other factor: a number of communities are approaching their net school spending caps
"we are frowning these days on charters banking large numbers of seats"
Director says there is demand for kindergarten
Sagan: if you have the space, why don't you take them?
Director: remaining head count is in high school
request is based on where we have the most demand which is in kindergarten
Chuang "that is something the school has decided within the footprint" they are chartered for
Director: we've admitted as many students as we can right now
Chuang: the general pattern is there is declining enrollment in high school grades
Director: have backfilled in kindergarten, continuing to do so would exhaust the headcount
Chuang: wouldn't be good planning to double kindergarten
"we've had multiple conversations over multiple years, and the school has decided on this structure"
Sagan: why don't you take the students on the waitlist and show the demand?
Director: can't take different levels of Chinese knowledge
"as we grow" we have more options for students
long term would like to have a model like Sturgis Charter with four cohorts in high school
with learning Chinese "the later you start, the more difficult it is"
Sagan: why are 39 students in the 9th grade?
Director: we did exhaust the waitlist in FY18
McKenna: there is no sixth grade waitlist?
Sagan: they're at full size in 6th grade
Director: much more response from Springfield; the school has found acceptance from urban students, so the school is changing demographic
"our principle entry point will continue to be kindergarten, because that's when it is most accessible"
arguing that they are keeping kids off IEPs by having students make adequate progress
"they may indeed have an underlying disability" but they don't have an IEP
"we provide more support and our numbers are lower"
this was a news item last year, around parents complaining that their students were not served
"it's clear that a lot of districts don't graduate kids out of English language learner programs"
moving students out of EL support
trace down students who left
plus "because we're a small school, small change in the number of students don't reflect the percentages"
"we were the last suburban charter approved in the state...we think you should be looking at us as a model"
"model of
Moriarty: "I am sympathetic...give opportunities to more families...but is there some sweet spot we can do something with?"
Wulfson: we have indicated an interest in a more modest increase
"the school is essentially looking to double in size"
Moriarty: "Can you throw me a number?"
Sagan: I would be concerned about negotiating fine grain numbers in this form
Chuang: "it's also impossible for them to expand for this fall"
Sagan: it has to be a 2019 issue
sibling preference? Yes, for legal siblings
McKenna: I think we've heard everything, and I suggest we accept the Commissioner's recommendation
leave discretion to the staff
Sagan: we've done that before
Sagan: "You've got to hear this Board. We like your school. We want more schools to function this way. But we need a more collaborative approach."
BOARD TAKES NO ACTION
Sagan: "Please don't keep doing it this way, because you're going to keep running into this wall. It's got to be through the Department."
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