Phila. district sees fewer charter applications

The Philadelphia School District received fewer applications for new charter schools in 2016 and 2017 than officials expected.

A total of 22 would-be operators told the district last month they planned to apply, but only 14 submitted proposals by Sunday's deadline, a district spokesman said Monday.

Ten proposals came from operators seeking to replicate or expand charter schools already operating in the district, such as Folk Arts Cultural Treasures Charter, which wants to open a second K-8 campus in Chinatown.

The roster includes six applicants that had not applied last year, such as James Baldwin Charter High School, which wants to open in Mantua.

Most of the proposed schools would open next fall, but five would wait until the 2017-18 academic year.

If approved, the 14 schools would add 9,845 students to the charter roster over the next six years.

In addition, the district will consider a second application from Liguori Academy, which is planning a high school for at-risk students in Kensington. The School Reform Commission denied Liguori's application last year.

The district's 83 charters enroll more than 65,000 students.

District spokesman Fernando Gallard said that initial hearings, where applicants will present their proposals, are scheduled for Dec. 7 and 9.

District staffers will question proponents and discuss the findings made by the teams that have evaluated the proposals at follow-up hearings set to begin Jan. 11.

Gallard said that the SRC was expected to vote on the applications by Feb. 15.

The SRC approved only five of 39 applications it received last year.

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