Camden Board of Education resolution was amended to get needed votes

As I mentioned in my story today, the Camden Board of Education expressed its support for the KIPP Cooper Norcross Academy proposal, reversing its prior position on the matter.

The board's approval of the KIPP plan was due to two board members - Sean Brown and Kathryn Ribay - changing their votes on the proposal.  Ribay said she would only support the proposal if the promise of negotiating a contract was put in writing. And so, a contract negotiation clause was added to the resolution.

Below is a copy of the amended resolution that the board sent to state Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf for final approval.

RESOLUTION

#158-SY '12

RESOLUTION 0F THE CAMDEN CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION

IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR

THE KIPP, COOPER, NORCROSS ACADEMY RENAISSANCE SCHOOL PROJECT

PURSUANT TO THE URBAN HOPE ACT

WHEREAS, the  Urban Hope  Act, P.L.2011, CHAPTER 176 (N.J.S.A. 18A:36C-1 et seq.) passed  by the New Jersey legislature and signed into law (the "Law") by Governor Chris Christie on January 12, 2012 permits the Camden City Board  of Education to partner with a private entity to construct up to four (4) Renaissance

Schools in the Camden City SchoolD1strict; and

WHEREAS, Renaissance Schools will provide an opportunity to children in low-performing schools with a chance to succeed thereby advancing the best interests of the citizens of the City of Camden; and

WHEREAS, under the Law, a consortium of private, non-profit entities and for-profit entities will be permitted to finance, build and operate and maintain Renaissance Schools; and

WHEREAS, under the Law, the Camden City Board of Education must first approve a resolution of support for a non-profit entity to file an application with the Commissioner of Education for approval for a Renaissance School Project; and

WHEREAS, the Camden  City Board of Education issued a request for proposals which was approved by the Commissioner of Education, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:31-2.1(a), to solicit proposals for Renaissance School Projects; and

WHEREAS, the Camden City Board of Education authorized the use of a scoring rubric which was approved by the Commissioner of Education, pursuant to NJ.A.C. 6A:31-2.1(a), to evaluate said proposals; and

WHEREAS, an evaluation committee, including the assistant superintendents, the Fiscal Compliance Officer and two board of education members, was established to score each of the four proposals to assist the board of education in making an informed decision (see attached individual and combined scores); now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Camden City Board of Education as follows;

1. Authorization is hereby approved for the KIPP, Cooper, Norcross Academy to file an application with the Commissioner of Education for a Renaissance School Project as described in its proposal.

2.  Authorization is hereby approved for the administration to prepare and submit an amendment to the district's Long Range Facilities Plan in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-4  reflecting plans to construct the renaissance school project and the resulting changes to the district's enrollment and capacity needs as required by the Urban Hope Act and N.J.A.C. 6A:31-3.l(b)l.

3. Authorization is hereby approved to implement a method by which all federal funds will be distributed in the renaissance school district, which shall ensure the renaissance school project receives no less than the district's average per pupil federal allotment for eligible students as required by the Urban Hope Act and N.J.A.C. 6A:31-3.l(b)2.

4. This resolution is expressly subject to and conditioned upon the Board and Renaissance School provider negotiating and mutually agreeing to a contractual agreement, same requiring formal approval by the Board prior to submission to the Commissioner of Education.

CERTIFICATION

I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true, full and correct copy of Resolution #158-SY '12 adopted by Camden City Board of Education at its meeting on November 27, 2012.

BY   _------------------------------------

Celeste Ricketts, School Business Administrator Board Secretary