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SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Charter petition goes to Trenton

By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
 Two representatives from the Save Our Schools organization went to the state Department of Education offices Tuesday afternoon to hand deliver a letter and a 1,215-signature petition to acting Commissioner Christopher Cerf.
   The letter and petition are in opposition to the proposed Princeton International Academy Charter School which wants to open a facility on Perrine Road in the ownship.
   The K-2 Mandarin immersion school hoped to open at the location in September with 170 students from South Brunswick, Princeton and West Windsor-Plainsboro, but has been bogged down with issues in front of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
   Among its troubles are not having submitted revised drawings and plans to the township Planning Department in time for the professionals to adequately review them before scheduled public hearings.
   Most recently, the school missed a June 17 deadline to turn in plans for review prior to a scheduled July 7 zoning meeting, which has since been canceled, according to officials.
   School spokesman and member of its board of directors, Parker Block, said recently that the school and the planned owners of the property, 12 P & Associates LLC, are planning to ask the board for an adjournment until September.
   As a result, the school will likely have to seek either a planning extension from the education department or have to apply for its charter all over again, according to Mr. Block.
   In the letter submitted Tuesday, the group asks Mr. Cerf to revoke the school’s charter based on the substantial opposition voiced by the four communities sending students to the school.
   ”The school’s founders have failed to demonstrate the competence required in order to be trusted with the safety and education of our children in areas including fire, health and traffic,” the letter states.
   According to Lisa Rodgers, one of the SOS group’s leaders who delivered the materials to Trenton, the letter and petition were delivered Tuesday afternoon with a request to meet with Mr. Cerf to discuss the issue.
   More than 500 people attended the two most recent zoning board hearings on the school in April and early June, many upset that the proposed school and its estimated $2 million budget would be funded through public school dollars from the three sending districts.
   The three districts have even hired their own attorney to oppose the new school.
   ”This venture continues to waste the public’s time and taxes in an era when we can ill afford it,” the letter states. “This boutique school does not make any sense when public budgets are tight.” In addition to the letter and petition, the group is supporting legislation that would require a public referendum in each district where a charter school is proposed.
   Legislators were scheduled to take a vote on the state Senate version of the bill yesterday, but the results of the vote were not available by the Post’s press time.
   Just last week the South Brunswick Township Council threw its support behind the legislation unanimously.
   ”It is wrong for people to vote on a school budget and then see money removed from the budget and sent outside the district,” Mayor Frank Gambatese said during last week’s meeting.
   South Brunswick had to set aside about $774,000 in estimated tuition out of its $134 million budget approved by voters April 27 for the proposed school.
   If that money is not used, the district should be able to get it back and reallocate it after Oct. 15, according to officials at the Department of Education.