STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

COMMITTEE RESOLUTION


March 28, 2012


To:  Members of the Education, College Readiness and Success Committee

From:  Kenneth P. O’Brien, Chair, Education, College Readiness and Success Committee
		
Subject:	Charter Schools Stimulus Fund Grants


Action Requested

The proposed resolution authorizes the approval of New York Charter Schools Stimulus Fund grants to various charter schools pursuant to State Finance Law section 97-sss.


Resolution

I recommend that the Education, College Readiness and Success Committee adopt the following resolution:

Resolved that the grants to the charter schools identified below, in the amounts and from the programs specified, be, and hereby are, approved with such conditions and restrictions as the Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”) deems necessary and appropriate; and be it further

Resolved that funds awarded pursuant to this resolution but not spent by the awardees may be awarded by the Institute to any partial awardee or to the next highest scoring project(s) submitted through the request for application process. 
 

Facility financing grants, totaling $562,654, for the following:

Urban Dove Charter School (Brooklyn)	(Authorized by the Board of Regents),	$100,000

VOICE Charter School of New York (Queens) (Authorized by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education),  $100,000

Broome Street Academy Charter High School (Manhattan) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees),	$100,000

Imagine Me Leadership Charter School (Brooklyn) (Authorized by the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education),	$ 65,154

Elmwood Village Charter School (Buffalo) (Authorized by the Board of Regents),  $100,000

Brighter Choice Charter Middle School for Boys (Albany) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees) (Awarded pursuant to RFP T002196),  $ 97,500


Start-up grants, totaling $398,966, for the following:

Beginning with Children Charter School 2 (Brooklyn) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees), $ 50,000

ROADS Charter School I (Brooklyn) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees), $ 50,000

ROADS Charter School II (Bronx) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees), $ 50,000

Explore Exceed Charter School (Brooklyn) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees), $ 49,879

Young Women's College Prep Charter School of Rochester,  Authorized by the Board of Regents, $ 50,000

Tech International Charter School (Bronx) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees), $ 50,000

Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School (Brooklyn) (Authorized by the Board of Regents), $ 50,000

Brooklyn Success Academy Charter School 3, (Brooklyn) (Authorized by the Board of Trustees),$ 49,087


Background

Pursuant to Resolution No. 2010-117 dated September 15, 2010, the Board of Trustees delegated to the Education, College Readiness and Success Committee the authority to award grants to charter schools.  

The New York State Legislature made funds available in the 2011-12 State Education Department budget for services and expenses related to the development, implementation and operation of charter schools.  The New York State Division of the Budget made available to SUNY $3,103,625 for distribution to charter schools authorized by the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, the Board of Regents and the Buffalo City Board of Education.  Pursuant to State Finance Law section 97-sss, these funds may be used for “discretionary financial support, including grants . . . to charter schools . . . for start-up costs and costs associated with the acquisition, renovation, financing or construction of charter school facilities.”  

Pursuant to a June 17, 2011 Request for Proposal (T002196), SUNY awarded $2,142,005 of these funds on November 21, 2010 leaving $961,620 to be awarded.  On December 23, 2011, SUNY released a Request for Proposal (T002190) (the “RFP”) (copy on file in the Albany office of the Charter Schools Institute (the “Institute”)) to enable eligible applicants to compete for the remaining grant funds.  The Institute set the maximum for facility grants at $100,000 and set the maximum for start-up grants at $50,000.  Pursuant to the grant program previously approved by the Board of Trustees on April 25, 2000 (Resolution 00-64), the Institute convened a review panel, and scored and ranked all proposals in the manner outlined in the RFP.  

Should the Education, College Readiness and Success Committee adopt this resolution, the Institute, working with SUNY, will be given the authority to enter into contracts with the grantees that set forth conditions under which the grant monies are to be disbursed as described in the RFP including, but not limited to, submission of budgets and other supporting documentation.