City Council says no to proposed Worcester charter school

WORCESTER — The City Council unanimously, with one abstention, adopted a resolution Tuesday against a new proposed charter school in the city.

“They take our funding but there’s no level of accountability,” District 4 City Councilor Sarai Rivera said of charter schools, which are not overseen by local elected officials. “It’s almost like it takes away the voice of the community.”

District 1 Councilor Sean Rose, who has family who work for Worcester Public Schools, recused himself from the vote.

Worcester Cultural Academy Charter School has filed an application with the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education with the hopes of serving 360 students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

If approved, the school would open in August 2023 at 81 Plantation St. starting with kindergarten through fourth grade, and eventually expanding to fifth through eighth grades.

The school's website said that it hopes to provide a similar education model as the Old Sturbridge Academy Public Charter School, which provides education to students at Old Sturbridge Village through a partnership between the school and museum.

Worcester Cultural Academy, however, would be located in a more traditional school building and partner with organizations, such as the EcoTarium, Hanover Theatre and Worcester Art Museum to provide similar programming to Old Sturbridge Academy.

$7M financial hit

But elected officials in the city are not so keen on the proposal, particularly bemoaning the $7 million financial hit the district projects it would take when the school is at full operation.

Last week, Schools Superintendent Rachel H. Monárrez said the district does not think the proposed charter school is necessary, and the School Committee unanimously voiced opposition to the proposed charter school by adopting the same resolution.

“To say nothing at this time is to fail our school system,” School Committee member Tracy O’Connell Novick said during public comment at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Mayor Joseph M. Petty, who also serves as the School Committee chairman, presented the resolution to the City Council to adopt.

“We’ve worked too hard as a community to get funding back to public schools,” Petty said, referencing the 2019 Student Opportunity Act, which infused substantial new funding into public schools.

Petty further mentioned that the Worcester Public Schools already has programs with many of the cultural institutions with which the proposed charter school plans to partner.

“I don’t see a reason for this,” Petty said.

Meanwhile, at-Large Councilor Thu Nguyen said the proposal had caused “hurt” in the community.

“I rise for just the sake of the hurt I feel in the community that this is a Worcester Cultural Academic Charter School by folks not quite on the ground here,” Nguyen said. “When I think about the cultural needs of our community, we are doing really well here, we could do better, but that means keeping our resources here - investing in us.”

Teacher's union against proposal

At-Large Councilors Donna Colorio and Kate Toomey noted that their opposition to charter schools has been constant since before their pre-Council terms on the School Committee.

“There is not one reason I can think of that would require another school to come in and repeat the incredible work of our schools,” Toomey said.

District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson focused on the importance of supporting the local teacher’s union, which is against the proposal.

“I think it’s important for us as a city to support all of our brothers and sisters at the (Educational Association of Worcester)," Mero-Carlson said. "I know each and every day the hard work they do for our children.”

Finally, at-Large Councilor Khrystian King stressed that the opposition to the proposed charter school was “a funding issue.”

"I know folks who have attended charter schools in Worcester, I know folks who have worked there, and this is a funding issue,” King said.

He urged those interested in enrolling in the proposed school to reach out to members of the School Committee and the new superintendent.

“Roll up your sleeves and push together,” King said. "Things are changing and evolving at a rapid pace in our city and it’s a great opportunity to get involved.”

DESE has scheduled a public hearing at 4 p.m. Friday in Hebert Auditorium at Quinsigamond Community College to discuss the proposal. Commissioner Jeff C. Riley will then review all application materials before deciding whether to recommend the proposal to the state’s board of education for charter award in February 2023.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester City Council adopts resolution against proposed charter school