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Board hears hours of student testimony before granting KIPP Bayview and KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy renewals
Summary
After more than an hour of public testimony from students, parents and teachers, the San Francisco Board of Education voted to renew five‑year charters for KIPP Bayview Academy and KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy. Board members pressed staff for demographic data and raised budget questions about charter soft‑revenue assumptions.
The San Francisco Board of Education on Feb. 9 voted to renew five‑year charters for KIPP Bayview Academy and KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy following extended public testimony from students, parents and teachers.
Mary Richards, executive director for K‑8 small schools and charter schools, presented the superintendent’s recommendation to grant renewals for the period July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2015. She told the board that the district review team rated most elements of the petitions as meeting standards with strong satisfaction but flagged one budget area: KIPP budgeted more conservatively for ‘‘soft revenue’’ and set aside $1,500 per pupil this year where historically the figure had been nearer $3,000 per pupil.
The board heard about 19 public speakers on the item. Dozens of KIPP students described academic gains, stronger attitudes toward school and college aspirations; parents and teachers described KIPP’s family participation requirements, after‑school support and apparent gains in reading and math. ‘‘KIPP changed me because I used to get B’s and C’s at my other school, but now I have straight A’s,’’ one fifth‑grade student told the board.
Several board members thanked the speakers but also pressed for follow‑up information. Commissioner Winns said an article on segregation in charter schools had concerned her and asked staff to assemble comparable ethnic‑makeup data for district charter schools so the board could assess equity impacts. Staff said they would pursue that request.
Commissioner comments emphasized both the students’ personal testimony and the budget committee’s desire for better financial analysis. The Budget Committee had forwarded the items to the full board without recommendation, citing analysis questions; the Program & Curriculum Committee gave a positive recommendation.
The board recorded a unanimous vote in favor of the renewals.
The board did not specify additional contract terms in public remarks beyond directing district staff to negotiate MOUs and to ensure compliance with applicable local, state and federal laws. The renewals as read by staff require KIPP to execute an annual memorandum of understanding with the district prior to August 2010.
Next steps: district staff will finalize the required MOUs with the charter schools and provide requested demographic follow‑up to the board.
