FOCUS D.C. Public Charter School Bulletin

November 1, 2004

--Charter School Enrollment Grows for Eighth Straight Year
--President Signs Appropriations Bill Containing Key Charter School Provisions
--CityBuild Awards Announced


Charter School Enrollment Grows 16%; DCPS loses 2,100

Preliminary enrollment figures released by the District's two chartering boards show an increase of 2,189 students over last
year's audited enrollment -- a growth rate of 16% -- for a total of 15,841. Meanwhile, enrollment in DCPS schools shrank to 58,924, a decrease from the 2003-04 audited numbers of more than 2,100 students, or 4%. Based on the preliminary numbers, the public charter schools now enroll 21% of public school students in the District. Another 2,674 DCPS special education students attend private schools or public schools outside the District.

Audited enrollment numbers -- usually lower than the preliminary numbers -- will not be available until January.

According to the 21st Century School Fund, a D.C. non-profit, with the latest enrollment declines DCPS now controls nearly six million square feet of school space it does not need to house its students. Meanwhile, the Board of Education remains unwilling to give up space to the charter schools -- most of which lack suitable space or are paying high commercial rents -- even though
DCPS cannot afford to maintain the extra space.


President Signs Appropriations Bill Containing Key Charter School Provisions

Several School Reform Act amendments drafted by FOCUS and supported by the D.C. Public Charter School Association became law last month when the President signed the FY 2005 D.C. Appropriations Bill. The first is a complete rewrite of the charter schools' preference to acquire surplus DCPS facilities (declared surplus by the Board of Education and transferred to the jurisdiction of the mayor). The preference, interpreted as a mere discount by the administration and yielding very few properties over the years, now becomes a right of first offer. The right applies to all surplus properties currently under the
mayor's jurisdiction and to any DCPS schools that are declared surplus at any time in the future. Under the amendment, charter schools must be given the right to lease or purchase a surplus property for at least 25% less than its appraised value, and, if it is to be leased, must be offered a lease of at least 25 years that is renewable for an unlimited number of 25-year terms.

The "right of first offer" language also was inserted by the amendment into the section of the facilities preference that applies to underutilized DCPS properties.

Conversion Charter Schools

Several other FOCUS-drafted amendments will make it easier for DCPS schools to convert to public charter schools. The first gives
converting schools the right to lease their DCPS school buildings for a renewable term of at least 25 years at the rate DCPS leases space to non-profit organizations or at market rate less 25% (current law is silent on whether converting schools can keep their buildings). The second amendment reduces from two thirds to 51% the percentage of teachers who must approve the conversion (two thirds of parents still need to approve). The third amendment gives teachers in a converting school the right to
remain at the charter school for the year following conversion. After the first year, continued service at the charter school is at the option of the school; teachers not continued will have the right to teach at a DCPS school.

Mayor Announces CityBuild Winners; Five Schools to Receive $1 Million Each

On Wednesday Mayor Williams announced the winners of the new City Build grant program, a federally-funded initiative to help charter schools locate or expand in 12 target neighborhoods that have the near term potential of attracting or retaining new home owners, particularly those with school age children. Five schools were selected to receive a $1 million grant: Capital City PCS, Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS, Tree of Life PCS, Two Rivers PCS, and Washington Math, Science, and Technology PCS.

The CityBuild program is an initiative of Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), ranking member of the D.C. appropriations subcommittee and a long-time supporter of D.C. school reform. Senator Landrieu convinced the Congress to include CityBuild funding as part of the $13 million that comes to the District¹s charter schools in the package that brought vouchers to the District (DCPS also receives $13 million under the program).

Reviewers at the State Education Office assessed the 21 applications they received for factors such as the strength of the school¹s academic program and its plan for serving as a neighborhood center.

Congress has appropriated an additional $2 million for CityBuild in FY 2005. Additional CityBuild appropriations are expected in future years.


Friends of Choice in Urban Schools
1530 16th Street, NW #001
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 387-0405 phone
(202) 667-3798 fax
www.focus-dccharter.org