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Eastern Academy Charter School Closure To Our Students, Parents, Staff, Friends, and Supporters of Eastern Academy Charter School
We are extremely disappointed that the state Charter Appeal Board failed to recognize that Eastern Academy Charter School is fulfilling what it promised in our school’s operating charter. Furthermore, we disagree with CAB’s decision and have appealed this case to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. The educational philosophy of EACS empowers students to pursue their passions in an early college learning environment while connecting their experience in the real world. Our graduation rates, college matriculation rates, and parental satisfaction prove we are succeeding. We believe the Commonwealth Court will recognize our value in serving Philadelphia’s most vulnerable students and overturn CAB’s erroneous decision. As you may know by now, the School District of Philadelphia illegally defunded Eastern Academy before it had the chance to utilize its right to appeal the recent decision of the State Charter Appeals Board. That is, the School District of Philadelphia refused to remit payment that our school is owed under PA law. We appealed that defunding to the Pennsylvania Department of Education under a law that states that the Secretary of the Department of Education shall pay Eastern the funds it is owed if Eastern makes an appropriate filing to PDE. Eastern did make an appropriate filing. However, the PA DOE has informed us that it also considers Eastern to be closed and therefore refused to honor the request of Eastern that it be paid the funds it was owed. Our position is that we are a charter school until the law says that we are not. We have the right to appeal and they know it. What the SDP did was illegal. What PDE did was illegal. We believe that this is part of a greater strategy to run Eastern into the ground so that it could not claim its rights in court. So, it is with great sadness that due to the defunding of our school by SDP and PDE, Eastern will not be able to open for the 2019-2020 school year. The forces that mounted against us could not guarantee a legal battle, so they engaged in extra-judicial activity in that they pulled our funding -- all the while knowing that it would cripple our school. Throughout this process our students and families have remained our number one priority. We are eternally grateful and considered it an honor that you entrusted us with your students. As promised we are committed to do everything we can to assist our families with a transition to another school. Over the next couple of days our staff will be making calls to each family that was enrolled for the 2019-2020 school year to offer personal assistance with your transition. Of course you have the option of contacting the School District of Philadelphia for information regarding enrollment in the district schools. However, since they have not offered any charter school options we are reaching out to local charters and cyber-charter schools to identify schools that are still accepting students. We will update this list daily as we receive information from those schools so please check back daily. The schools below indicated they have seats available for the grades identified. However, please note that we cannot guarantee admission to these schools. You must apply and meet each schools' admission requirements. UPDATED Wednesday, August 28 at 3:30 PM Commonwealth Charter Academy (All grades) 1 Innovation Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110 717-710-3300, ext. 11239 Grover Cleveland Mastery Charter School (7 - 8) 3701 N. 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140 Phone: 215-227-5042 Universal Audenreid Charter High School (9-12) 3301 Tasker St, Philadelphia, PA 19145 215-952-4801 Vocatio Career Prep High School (9 & 10) 633 W. Hunting Park Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19140 215-821-8823 Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School (9-12) 2501 Kensington Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125 215-288-2001 HOMESCHOOL - Mrs. Cornelia Strowder (interested in coordinating with other parents) Please call for more information. 215-828-6921 Greater Hope Charter School (Grades 7-12) 7029 Woodland Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19142 215-729-0374 (tuition based – offering a generous discount for Eastern Families) Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls (9-12) 1000 W. Lycoming Street Philadelphia, PA 19140 215-455-6900 x112 OFFICE (tuition based but generous financial aid offered) Jesus is the Way Christian Academy 6753 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119 267-970-9779 (tuition based) Simon Gratz High School Mastery Charter (10th grade) 1798 W. Hunting Park Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19140 Ewuraekua Nunoo-Tanikie - 215-227-4408 CHAD Charter School for Architectural Design (9, 10, 11&12*) 105 S 7th St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 215-351-2900 *11th and 12th graders will be considered with transcripts Achievement House Cyber Charter School (All grades) (Online) www.achievementcharter.com Veronica Farr, Program Director - 484-615-6200 PA Leadership Charter School (All grades) (Online) www.palcs.org 610-701-3333 Despite what they have done to us, we will NOT give up. We WILL continue to fight for the right of our school to exist! We can’t say it enough…we are eternally grateful to each and every one of you who have supported our school and we look forward to your support as we see this through to a final LEGAL conclusion. Keep Thinking Big! Omar Barlow, CEO and Principal EASTERN ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL NEW COVENANT CAMPUS 7500 Germantown Avenue Elders Hall, Suite 004-005 Philadelphia, PA 19119 Should you need to reach us, please contact us at: 215-769-3131 or via email at info@easternacademycs.org. Because we are on a summer schedule, in-person appointments should be made by first contacting us via phone. We will continue to communicate updates with you via our E-letter as well as on this website. |
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