SRC schedules special meeting to vote on new charter schools

The School Reform Commission will hold a special meeting Feb. 8 to consider four charter applications, but it's not clear whether the commission will be able to muster the three votes needed to approve any of the new schools.

The number of SRC members who will be present to vote on the applications is not known.

Gov. Wolf on Thursday formally nominated Estelle Richman to an open seat on the five-member SRC, but she must still be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. A quick turnaround would be required for Richman to be seated in time to vote.

Another seat on the commission will open Friday, when Sylvia Simms' term expires, but Mayor Kenney has said he will name her replacement imminently. Mayoral appointees require no confirmation.

If Richman is not confirmed in time for the meeting, a four-member SRC could prove problematic. Commissioners Bill Green and Farah Jimenez, both appointees of former Gov. Tom Corbett's, are generally warmer to charters than others.

Chair Joyce Wilkerson is new to the commission, but as a mayoral nominee, she and whomever Kenney selects to fill the Simms slot could be more likely to have reservations about charters.

At the special session, the SRC will consider the following proposed schools:

Friendship Whittier, which wants to open in the fall in the Allegheny West neighborhood, would offer a college-prep program for students from pre-K through fifth grade.

KIPP Parkside, which seeks to open in 2018 in the Parkside section of West Philadelphia, said it would develop the character and skills to prepare students from K-8 for college.

Metropolitan Philadelphia Classical, which has applied to open in the fall in the Cedarbrook area of northwest Philadelphia, said it would offer a rigorous education for K-12 students, including Latin in elementary grades.

Deep Roots, which is seeking to open in the Harrowgate section of the Lower Northeast in the fall of 2018, said it would provide rigorous, college-prep education for K-8 students.

The charter office held hearings on the applications and is expected to release its recommendations a week before the SRC meets Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. at the district's headquarters at 440 N. Broad St.

If all are approved, the new schools would add 2,679 students to the district's charter rolls by their fifth year.

Applicants that are turned down can take their case to the state Charter Appeal Board.

The city's existing 86 charters enroll nearly 65,000 students.

martha.woodall@phillynews.com 215-854-2789 @marwooda