Schools

Debate over Proposed Charter School in South Brunswick Continues

Zoning board hearing on application for proposed site of the Princeton International Academy Charter School is set for Thursday night.

An application for a charter school proposed for a site in South Brunswick will be heard by the township Zoning Board of Adjustment on Thursday, but the debate continues over whether local tax dollars should be spent on a school drawing students from three districts that are high performing by all available measures.

The Princeton International Academy Charter School (PIACS), which is seeking to make its home at a Perrine Road location, would take students from South Brunswick, Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro.

"I think charter schools are a viable option when public schools are not performing," said South Brunswick Superintendent Gary McCartney.  "When (Gov. Chris Christie) was campaigning for office, his very clear comment was charter schools where public schools are failing and vouchers as a last resort.  I'm dismayed when we're confronted with a charter school opening up and drawing students from three of the highest performing districts in the state."

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A charter school is a public school operated under a charter by the Commissioner of Education. Charter schools operate independently of the local Board of Education and are managed by a board of trustees. Charter schools can’t charge tuition and enrollment is done on a space-available basis.  Funding for charter schools comes from local tax dollars; 90 percent of public tax dollars per student follow a child from the district they reside in to finance the charter school. The remaining 10 percent is retained by the home district.

"If a charter school wants to open in our area I'm not afraid of the competion," McCartney said. "Where I have a problem is that when they open up in an area like ours they automatically get our money.  This creates a condition where schools already at-risk fiscally are put at further risk and that's the unfair part."

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PIACS was approved by the state Department of Education in January 2010 as a dual-language Mandarin-English immersion school that will originally serve students in kindergarten through second grade from the Princeton Regional, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional and South Brunswick school districts.

"If you read the original intention of the charter school law you will see that the intention of charter schools has nothing to do with replacing failing public schools," said PIACS cofounder Parker Block.  "As the president of the NJEA has reminded everybody, the purpose of charter schools is to find successful and innovative programs that are in the private sector to test them in the public sector.  

"Charter schools are supposed to be vehicles of innovation and that is not restricted to failing districts.  Charter schools create competition within the system to keep things moving forward."

Block said that too often charter schools are misjudged as an alternative for failing school districts.

"I heard (South Brunswick Board of Education President) Matthew Speesler say a charter school is not needed here and they're for poor-performing districts," Block said.  "All these administrators say they're not anti-charter, just not in my backyard. Everyone is so focused on the achievement gap between urban and suburban schools, which is very real and it's a problem.  But what we lose sight of is the growing global achievement gap because all we focus on is what's going on in New Jersey."

Block said PIACS will offer the benefit of an immersion education in Mandarin Chinese, which is the world's most spoken language. According to PIACS, Mandarin Chinese is also one of the most difficult languages to learn for nonnative speakers and requires thousands of hours of class time for proficiency, which is best provided in an immersion setting.

"A lot of parents and teachers think things are fine as is, but there's also a lot of parents who both quietly and vocally believe we can do better," Block said. "It's not enough to compare ourselves to Camden and Trenton and say we're doing fine. Parents know when their kids graduate college in 2025, it's going to be a very different world because of telecommunication and global investment.

"You could be living and working in South Brunswick, but your boss may be in Bangalore and your colleagues may be in China and Sweden, so we need to be able to compete.  Kids are evaluated against other kids from around the world, not just down Route 1."

Block said the program begins with kindergarten students learning all of their instruction in Mandarin.  In first grade they learn 20 percent of instruction in English and in second grade 30 percent of instruction is taught in English.  The percentage of instruction in English increases each year, until the fifth grade when instruction is taught 50 percent in English and 50 percent in Mandarin. 

"English is introduced as a second language," Block said.  "The reason why this has been proven effective is because children are immersed in an English-speaking environment outside of school.  They're developing English anyway, so through this program their English will develop and so too will their foreign language skills."

Block said the goal of the school is to allow students to become fluent through reading, writing and speaking the language to eventually use in a professional context, which he said has never been the goal of world language programs taught in American public schools.  He said the language programs taught in public schools do not prepare students to compete in the global marketplace.

"Ultimately you can't achieve proficiency through this type of program and that's not the fault of the teachers or administrators, it's just the way it's always been," he said.  "This innovative approach we have has existed in private schools for the past 20 to 30 years, but only in the last 10 years or so has it been pushed into public schools."

The effectiveness of dual-language immersion is such that Block said Princeton is now looking into introducing a dual-language Spanish immersion program in their public schools.

"They've just announced they're in the planning stages of introducing a dual-language program for Spanish in their elementary schools and that was never on their radar until we came along," Block said. "They see there's an intense demand for our programs because of all the attention.  They thought that dual-language immersion was something for private schools, but when we brought attention to this program in the community it opened their eyes to the demand of parents.  So we can already see the affect we can have on public education."

Block said PIACS would also be offering extensive instruction in Singapore Math, which will ensure students reach the highest international levels of mathematics skills.  PIACS also plans to apply for the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum framework.  The IB framework employs various teaching methods used around the world and helps students adapt to the globalizing marketplace.  Block said the IB framework has been proven to help students achieve higher standards when compared to other forms of instruction by mixing concepts with facts to help students retain information.

"This is an inquiry-based curriculum that flows through an Ivy League framework and we hope to get IB certification within the next three years," Block said.  "What we have is a well-rounded program that is well respected and isn't offered in any of the three districts we will serve."

PIACS will open with an approximately $2 million budget, according to Block.

"The funding we receive is based upon how many students are enrolled from a prospective district," he said.  "The funding formula is basically that the money follows the child, which is the the principle the state government applies for charter schools and public schools."

Block added that the funding mechanism for charter schools forces the board of directors to operate the school more efficiently than what is commonly seen in public education.  

"In terms of tax dollars, the money we get has to cover not just the operating expenses but also the cost of the facility," Block said.  "We have to spread tax dollars much further than a regular public school.  We have to pay rent, as well as salaries, so in terms of offering a quality education per dollar spent, charter schools are very effective."

A staff of eight teachers under one head teacher will instruct the school's projected 170 students once the school opens.  

"By state law, all of our teachers need to be certified just like in any public school," Block said.  "Do they have to be part of the union?  No.  Can they be? Yes.  The only thing we require to teach at this school besides being certified is that they have to be a very good teacher and they have to be bilingual, unless they're a Language Arts teacher who doesn't need to speak Mandarin."

Block said the staff must be able to adapt to the different language skills of students who may transfer in.

"One of the key aspects is the ability to train teachers in differentiated instruction," he said. "If a student comes in speaking no Mandarin that's not going to be an issue.  Like any good public school we need to be able to adapt our children to it. Nobody is going to get pushed out of this school.  I heard we were only going to select certain students but that's not true.  It will operate just like any public school."

About 75 percent of the students enrolled at PIACS are already enrolled at public schools, according to Block.  He said the school received about 250 applications for enrollment.

"What this does create for parents is that when we have more applications than places then we need to have a lottery," he said.  "That's the one downside to it.  What we hope is that when school districts see such a big demand that we have waiting lists, then there will be a lot of demand for expanding the program we have within public schools on a wider scale, which is what's happening in Princeton."

Block said the school's extracurricular activities are still in the planning stages, as it was not a required part of the charter application.  He said physical education will be offered initially, as parents of students who have enrolled already will help to determine what kind of extracurricular activities PIACS will eventually offer.

"One of the refreshing things about this school is that it really involves parents in public education," Block said.  "The degree of parent involvement helps determine whether the school is strong or whether it fails.  Don't forget charter schools can and do fail and not because the state pulls the charter.  

"If a parent finds that the school doesn't deliver on their expectations they can pull their child out of the school and put them back into public school and when that happens we lose money.  If we don't do a good job then we won't get money, so it's not like a traditional school where if it flounders it still continues to exist."

PIACS was originally planned to open at the St. Joseph's Seminary on Mapleton Road in Princeton last September.  PIACS had a one-year opening at the location for the 2010-11 school year before the American Boys Choir would move in to occupy the site.  However, due to a deficiency in the PIACS application for a zoning use variance, the application was delayed and the school was unable to open.

"An attorney representing the three school districts found a deficiency that the hours of the Planning Office were not listed in the public notice and according to state law you have to list those office hours," Block said. "Some members of the board felt the challenge had no substance, but the other four members voted to postpone the hearing.  The districts knew that by postponing this hearing it would push beyond the deadline we had for receiving our certificate of occupancy, therefore we couldn't get the final piece of paper we needed to open the school."

PIACS is projected to open with about 170 students from the three districts.  As part of the proposed South Brunswick school budget, the district is expected to lose about $1.6 million from about $20.1 million in state aid this year.  That money comes from the approximately 150 students from South Brunswick who the state projects to attend both PIACS and the Thomas Edison EnergySmart Charter School in Trenton.

South Brunswick was projected to lose about $800,000 for approximately 75 students to PIACS, but Block said that projected number was incorrect.

"This is a good example that we should have better communication with the district and we take responsibility for that," Block said. "We didn't realize until we saw their proposed budget that the number they have for students from South Brunswick attending PIACS is twice as high as it should have been.

"The district said they were informed by the Department of Education that they should plan to have about 70 to 80 students attend PIACS for between $700,000 to $800,000, but the actual number will be about 35 students from South Brunswick for about $300,000 to $400,000."

On the other side of the debate rests the three school districts, which like the rest of the state's public schools are dealing with budget difficulties the likes of which have not been seen in recent history.  

In South Brunswick, the district is struggling with a 4.3 percent drop in the township's total assessed value to approximately $3.7 billion.  Township Chief Financial Officer Joseph Monzo said the drop in ratables alone would cause an increase in taxes, even if the school budget remained the same as last year.  Monzo said that for the first time in 20 years, South Brunswick's total assessed value dropped for two consecutive years. 

The district lost about $9 million in funding due to successful tax appeals last year. With the decrease in ratables, the district had to increase the tax rate by 4.5 percent just to get back to the same tax levy as last year.  The school tax levy remained flat the previous two years and the proposed school budget keeps it flat again.

The district also faces a projected increase to health benefits (includes health, dental and prescription) of $1.8 million or about 10.5 percent and a pension cost increase of about $89,000 or 4.8 percent, according to Business Administrator Anthony Tonzini.

Block said PIACS will have about 35 students from South Brunswick, about 35 from Princeton and about 100 from West Windsor-Plainsboro. South Brunswick lost about $500,000 last year from state aid for charter school enrollees, but since PIACS didn't open that money went into South Brunswick's capital reserve.

"We were able to retain those funds, but in retaining them we knew (the charter schools) would be right back at it again this year," McCartney said.  "We need to keep that line item to support money lost to charter schools on an annual basis.  We received notification from the state that we would have some of the state aid we lost reinstated, but in the same memo we were told we would need an additional $1.1 million for charter schools on top of the $500,000 this past year, so the total is $1.6 million and we already had $500,000 allocated."

Dr. McCartney added that there is an accountability factor that exists in the public school system that is absent in charter schools.

"There is a difficult and lengthy process that exists for us to put our budget together and get it approved," McCartney said.  "We work hard on that process to gain public approval.  We go to referendum to let the public tell us whether they support it.  On the other hand, each year the folks at charter schools say this is how many kids we have enrolled, so send us your money."

McCartney said the budget process for charter schools excludes members of the community from having any say in the budget or in the decision making process of a charter school's governing board.

"How can New Jersey have such stringent requirements for getting budgets approved in public schools, but there's no process for the citizens in the town where they draw students from to have a say," McCartney said.  "There's also no elective process that places community members on their board of directors like we have with the Board of Education."

McCartney said that, by any measurement, the three districts affected by PIACS are competitive both regionally and nationally, as well as internationally.  He highlighted the recent academic achievements of South Brunswick students, including the five highest SAT math and verbal scores in school history, as well as the highest totals of National Merit Scholars and Edward J. Bloustein Distinguished Scholars in school history.  

McCartney also pointed to discussions of failing schools in New Jersey always including districts like Newark and Camden, while ignoring how many districts across the state are doing exemplary work.  He pointed to the statewide performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, where he said New Jersey's fourth-graders and eighth-graders were ranked first in the nation.

"That is the most highly respected international comparison we can get and New Jersey does quite well," McCartney said. "We have high performing youngsters in New Jersey who always exceed what you see across the nation. In South Brunswick, we have about 1,000 students taking (Advanced Placement) tests and 89 percent scored three or higher, which means they get college credit.  So by any measurement our schools perform well."

The global standing of American universities is proof that the public education system in the U.S. is competitive on a global scale, according to Dr. McCartney.

"Kids from around the world flock to American colleges because it's a mecca for higher educational success," he said.  "That's why so many folks from foreign countries come here.  In South Brunswick, we have kids every year accepted to the most prestigious colleges in the country, so I feel good about how well we're doing. There's always room for improvement and I don't think we've peaked.  I'm willing to compare our results against anybody's."

On the question of the effectiveness of dual-language immersion, Dr. McCartney said the issue lies in the content being taught in the language of immersion.  He said it will be difficult to find a teacher who is able to teach the full spectrum of curriculum content in the language of immersion effectively.

"In South Brunswick we're able to find absolutely outstanding teachers and that's one of the the biggest draws for our school system," he said.  "With an immersion program that's hard to replicate in any language.  What's the availability to provide enough excellent teachers in that language who can teach the content?

"My experience with schools that have immersion programs is that they were small in number and had lots of problems being able to maintain excellence in classroom teachers.  Plus when they bring in more students as time goes on, until they know the language, they don't understand the other teaching that takes place.  They're joining after that plane has already taken off."

In terms of extracurricular activities, McCartney said he couldn't compare what PIACS would offer to South Brunswick without knowledge of what the charter school plans on providing.  He did say, however, that South Brunswick's slate of programs and activities helped to develop a well-rounded lifelong learner.

"We take seriously the responsibility to create a well-educated citizen," he said.  "A productive community member goes hand in hand with an excellent academic education.  We provide character education that teaches self-discipline, hard work, diligence and teamwork.  With things like sports and the band, students learn how to handle disappointment and success while working together, so our extra curricular programs help to develop a well rounded individual."

Dr. McCartney said one of the issues he has with the push to create more charter schools statewide is that it paints districts that are succeeding with the same brush as failing districts.

"Public education is one of the cornerstones of our democracy," he said.  "There needs to be a discussion about how we do this rather than saying everybody gets treated the same across the board whether they're doing well or not.  We work hard to get the results we get, we've been deemed a lighthouse district, yet we're treated like examples they give in Newark.  The only thing I can glean is that there isn't a high regard for how well public schools perform since we're all treated the same way."

The debate over the merits of a charter school located in a high achieving public school district will take a backseat this week to zoning issues.  On Thursday at 7:30 p.m. the South Brunswick Zoning Board will hear an application from developer 12 P & Associates, LLC  for the proposed location of PIACS at 12 Perrine Road.  The 11.70-acre site was formerly a storage and office space facility for a sporting goods manufacturer. 

District officials have questioned the adequacy and safety of the proposed location.

"My sense is that if you're building a public school you should be expected to meet all the zoning requirements for fire, safety and others," McCartney said. "As we study the engineering reports of zoning officials, I'll be interested in seeing whether they provide a safe haven."

Block said he would not get involved with speculation on the suitability of the site by people who have no knowledge of zoning issues. 

"This is something for the inspectors to determine and there will be expert testimony on the subject," Block said.  "We believe it is suitable and we would not put our children at risk.  We're not a private corporation looking to make money.  Members of the (South Brunswick) school board say it's not suitable, well it's not their kids. These are our children and we would not be doing anything that we thought has the slightest risk to the health and safety of our children."

The application is for both a charter school and a private school for the location.  Block said that, because the facility is larger than what PIACS would need, 12 P & Associates has the option of renting out the space to a private school as well.  He said the developer is separate from PIACS and no funding for any private school that may move into the location would come from public dollars.  He said the only connection between PIACS and any private school that moves in would be the possibility of a pre-K program.

Block said the purpose of the challenges brought up by the attorneys representing the districts is to simply keep the school from being able to open on time, thus pushing opening back another year.

 "These attorneys are tasked with finding some way to keep the school from opening," he said.  "We know their strategy because they know we have a deadline to open our doors.  So all they have to do is throw up enough legal challenges to run out the clock.  That's what they did last year.  They don't need to be right, they just need to not be wrong by the time we hit a deadline."

Block also questioned why a district that is struggling economically is spending money on legal representation.  He said PIACS doesn't have legal representation, but 12 P & Associates does have attorneys arguing on behalf of the developer.  He added that PIACS is under no obligation to use the Perrine Road facility and is also eyeing a number of other possible locations for the school.

McCartney said law firm Parker McCay, who is representing the district, charges $165 per hour and represents South Brunswick schools in various legal matters.  He said this was not a case of the district spending money to bring in a high-powered attorney and that every school district retains an attorney, for lawsuits such as a slip and fall on a sidewalk outside of school property or a work-related injury.

"Legal fees are a budget line item in school administration just like postage or the telephone bill," he said.  "We live within the boundaries of what we can afford and we do get sued with some regularity, which is normal for a district this size.  I call it the cost of doing business."

McCartney said that because it's a zoning issue, the district needs to have representation that understands the zoning requirements and makes sure "all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed."

He added that, because taxpayer money is in question with the charter school, he believes the taxpayers of South Brunswick expect the district to defend themselves in the matter.

"You can't say well we're short on money so don't spend any money to defend yourself," McCartney said. "We could then find ourselves in a position where we wouldn't have any money if people look at us and say those fools don't defend themselves.  Attorneys are necessary to make sure there is equity in the process.

"We have a responsibility to defend ourselves so somebody doesn't take advantage of us and so our money is watched over.  I won't apologize for that, we're expected to guard over and jealously protect that taxpayer money."

Block said the economic difficulties afflicting the nation should not be used as a rationale against spending taxpayer money on charter schools.

"We can't use the recession as an excuse not to innovate," he said.  "We have to make tough choices or remain part of the staus quo.  There's this fear people have that if a charter school opens there's nothing they can do about it and that's not true.  If you don't want it to open then don't send your child there.  All public schools have to do is convince people that having their kids stay in public school is a better option."

The zoning board hearing on the proposed PIACS location will be heard Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the South Brunswick Municipal Building.


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