New York City’s move to oust three charter schools from district buildings appears to carry a hefty price tag.
The mayor’s budget sets aside $5.4 million in the coming fiscal year to lease sites for three Success Academy charters—more than $11,000 in rent for each child expected to be enrolled.
The price tag comes after Mayor Bill de Blasio revoked space in district buildings for the three charters in February, leading to an outcry from supporters of the high-performing network, whose students are almost all poor and black or Hispanic. After a state budget deal in April gave charters broad new protections, the city scrambled to find spaces for the schools.
City officials are negotiating leases to house the charters in three Catholic schools that are empty or closing. The city’s Office of Management and Budget shows an expected allocation of $5.4 million a year for four years.
