Success Academy officials claim the city is leaving 250 Queens students in the lurch once again.
The city’s largest charter operator said Friday that officials promised to provide the kids space for next year but have since reneged.
According to the network, Mayor Bill de Blasio granted the students middle school space at I.S. Susan B. Anthony Academy in Hollis this year to afford time to find them a permanent home.
“In the intervening nine months, the city has not found a permanent location for them, and now City Hall is threatening to evict them from I.S. 238 leaving them without a place to learn,” Success Academy said.
The charter is pushing for the city to either renew the spot at I.S. 238 — which was never put to use due to the pandemic — or find an alternate location before documentation is required by March 12.
“Our parents have been waiting four long years to ensure that their children have a first-rate education — and yet the mayor has failed them once again,” said Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz in a statement.
The network said that the city has aimed to “sharply reduce” co-location approvals for charter schools and instead steered them to seek private space “at taxpayer expense.”
Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz accused NYC of reneging on a promise to give Queens students space. Gabriella BassThe DOE countered Friday the existing space is reserved for special needs students.
“Everyone has been aware of this for the past twelve months—we prioritized in-person learning for our most vulnerable D75 students and we cannot and will not leave these families hanging,” said spokesperson Katie O’Hanlon.
Success spokesperson Sam Chafee said the city has an obligation to house the Queens charter students. “The law states clearly that the city is responsible for providing a location, either public or private, at no cost to the charter school,” he said. “With significant declines in enrollment — more than 1,200 students in district 29 alone — the mayor has options, but our students don’t.”
Success Academy operates 47 schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens and enrolls about 20,000 students.
The network has continually clashed with de Blasio during his tenure over a range of issues from school space to the use of athletic fields.
