SRC holds hearing today on closing charter school

The Philadelphia School Reform Commission today will hold the first of two scheduled public hearings on the proposed closing of two troubled city charter schools.

Today's hearing will focus on Renaissance Charter School in Mt. Airy which has 208 sixth through eighth grade students.

The day-long session begins at 10 a.m. in the auditorium of the district's administration building at 440 N. Broad St.

The hearing was scheduled after the five-member school reform commission unanimously voted in April to begin the process of revoking Renaissance's operating charter.

The district's charter office, which spent that past year reviewing the school's operations, recommended closing Renaissance because the school had failed to show academic improvement and did not meet the state law's requirement of having at least 75 percent of its teachers certified.

In addition, the district said the charter had experienced high turnover among teachers, chief academic officers and board members and has a history of filing incomplete or late annual reports, audits and financial statements it is required to file by state law.

Commission members said the charter's lack of financial documentation raised questions about the school's solvency.

Barbara Farley, a district spokeswoman, said two of the five commission members will attend the hearing, although an outside attorney will preside.

During the hearing, district representatives will present evidence to show why the district's charter office believes Renaissance should be closed.

Renaissance representatives will offer testimony and evidence to support their contention that the school deserves to have its operating charter renewed for another five years.

After the hearing, written testimony will be accepted for 30 days. The commission will take final action later this summer.

Renaissance Charter School at 7500 Germantown Ave. opened in 1999.

The School Reform Commission has scheduled a similar hearing June 24 on the revocation of Germantown Settlement's charter. Germantown Settlement at 4811 Germantown Ave. has 416 fifth through eighth grade students.