Updated: Aug. 26, 10:45 a.m.
By a 7-2 vote, the Philadelphia Board of Education has approved an agreement that will immediately close Daroff Charter School. Bluford Charter School will operate this year, before surrendering its charter next July.
Read the details here.
The original story follows:
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A resolution currently before the Philadelphia Board of Education would close one troubled West Philadelphia charter school and delay the opening of another. Both Daroff Charter School and Bluford Charter School have no one to operate them.
Daroff and Bluford were left in limbo on July 31, when the board holding their charters failed to renew a school management agreement with Universal Companies, the firm founded by music mogul Kenny Gamble. The Philadelphia school board, which oversees charters in the city, has an emergency meeting scheduled for Friday morning to consider a plan that would have the two elementary schools surrender their charters.
Daroff would close immediately, and Bluford would be given one more year to operate before reverting to district control next July. Bluford would be allowed to enroll up to 700 students this year, including 7th and 8th graders from Daroff.
With 17 teacher vacancies at Bluford and 25 at Daroff, the Philadelphia school board last week said it had serious concerns over whether the two schools would even be able to start the year.
The School District of Philadelphia had concerns about physical conditions at the two charters, and reached out to Bluford and Daroff parents last week, offering them the option to send their students to district-run schools.
Related
Superintendent Tony Watlington said Wednesday he could not offer much more information.
“We’re still in conversations and communications with students and families who may return to the school district. It’s premature to say more than that at this time,” Watlington said.
The combined board of trustees for the Bluford and Daroff schools informed parents by Instagram that the schools would not be starting classes on Monday.
By the time of publication, KYW Newsradio’s calls to the attorney representing the Bluford and Daroff board of trustees have not been returned.
Related
