Charter school public hearing on Monday

Meeting at Lawrence High School at 8 p.m.

Posted

The Lawrence School District will host a public hearing on a proposed charter school on Monday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m., in the auditorium of Lawrence High School, at 2 Reilly Road in Cedarhurst. Time was changed due to parent requests after the Herald went to press on Sept. 16.

The hearing is an opportunity for community members to voice their opinions on an application by the New American Leadership Academy Charter School to open a school in the district to accommodate English language learners and students with disabilities.

The New York State Education Department Charter School Office is currently conducting a review of the application. Should it be approved, the school would launch in September 2015 with kindergarten and first grade classes of 60 students each. The New American Leadership Academy plan calls for adding a grade each year, up through fifth grade in 2019-20.

Lawrence Superintendent Gary Schall said that the Education Department is expected to make a decision in November. “We were recently told that the district is required to hold the hearing before October 1,” he said. “Given the [Jewish] holidays, we moved it to September 22.”