Demand pushes 2 LI charter schools to grow

Charter schools in Hempstead and Roosevelt are preparing major expansions, with officials in both schools citing increased parent demand.

The Academy Charter School in Hempstead, which is 2 years old, will reopen classes next month in a renovated 34,500-square-foot building with a gymnasium and electronic "smart boards" in each classroom. The school formerly leased space from a church. The new center, which cost $8 million, will ultimately house 450 students in grades K-5, compared with 250 students in its former quarters.

The Academy school has a waiting list of 110 students. Officials there say families are attracted by its extended academic day, which runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as by after-school programs and the emphasis on reading and math.

In testing last spring, 71.1 percent of third-graders met or surpassed state proficiency standards in English, while 77.8 percent did so in math. Both results were above Nassau County's average.

"Oh, I think it's wonderful!" said Sharon McKoy, whose son Jordan, 8, has attended the school since it first opened in rented space. "It can do nothing but encourage learning."

On Friday, the McKoys and dozens of other families attended a ribbon-cutting and toured the new center, which occupies a former car dealership in downtown Hempstead Village.

Local expansion plans reflect a broader push for more charter schools both nationally and in New York State, where numbers are due to more than double in coming years. However, some education experts have concluded that charter school performance nationwide differs little on average from achievement in traditional schools.

Roosevelt Children's Academy Charter School is drafting its own expansion plans, which it hopes to submit to the state next month. Officials there seek Albany's approval to add grades nine through 12 and form the Island's first charter high school.

As in Hempstead, parent demand in Roosevelt runs high. Last spring, there were 575 applications for 75 student seats, and winners were chosen by lottery. Opened in 2000, it is the Island's oldest charter school and one of five currently operating in the region.

"It's definitely where you want your child," said Toni Burden, president of the school's Parent Teacher Organization and mother of a fourth-grader.

However, many school district officials locally and elsewhere maintain that the charter movement drains off money and the most motivated students, undermining their own efforts to improve.

Charles Renfroe, president of Hempstead's school board, says his district alone pays more than $8 million a year in support of local children who attend charter schools.

"They're taking money out of our school districts," Renfroe said.

Charter schools are governed by their own boards, independent of school districts. They are tuition-free, operating with public funds based on enrollment numbers. Last year, Albany lawmakers approved plans that could ultimately expand the state's roster of charter schools to 460 from about 200.

LONG ISLAND'S CHARTER SCHOOLS

Child Development Center of the Hamptons Charter School

(Wainscott) 70 students, grades K-5.

Academy Charter School (Hempstead) 325 students, grades K-4.

Evergreen Charter School (Hempstead) 200 students, grades K-3.

Riverhead Charter School (Calverton) 275 students, grades K-6.

Roosevelt Children's Academy Charter School (Roosevelt) 770 students, grades K-8.

-- John Hildebrand