NYC to House 3 Charter Schools in Closed Schools

NEW YORK (AP) —

New York City officials said Saturday they have found space in closed Catholic schools for three charter schools that became homeless after Mayor Bill de Blasio rejected their space-sharing agreements.

The three Success Academy charter schools will move into buildings that formerly housed two Roman Catholic schools in Manhattan and one in Queens. The city will renovate the buildings and get them ready for students next fall.

“It doesn’t matter whether a child attends a district school, a charter school, or a parochial school; these are all our kids,” First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris said. “We pledged to parents we would have a safe, high-quality environment for these students, and this outcome delivers on that promise.”

The Success Academy schools had been promised space in public schools during the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but de Blasio, who took office in January, announced in February that he was reversing some of the so-called co-locations approved under Bloomberg last fall.

Success Academy backers had sued over the decision and Gov. Andrew Cuomo inserted a last- minute item in the state budget to protect the charter movement.

City officials said the agreement announced Saturday resolves all legal actions.

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