Lawrence charter school application not moving forward

Based on information provided from the New York State Education Department the application for the proposed New American Leadership Academy Charter School will not be moving forward during this year's meeting of the Board of Regents.

The application could be resubmitted during the next round for consideration scheduled for February, SED spokeswoman Jeanne Beattie said.

"Many do [resubmit] and some improve applications based on our feedback and are chartered," Beattie said. "Every application is reviewed on its own merits, independent of prior attempts."

A group of several people, including four who are residents of Atlantic Beach proposed establishing a charter school in the Lawrence School District for September 2015.

The proposal was met with stiff resistance from school district officials and community residents.

Plans called for creating a charter school that would begin with kindergarten and first grade, and expanding to a fifth grade by 2019. The school was projected to have a total of 360 students, with 60 in each grade level.

At a public hearing in the Lawrence High School auditorium on Sept. 22 every speaker from resident to school district official opposed the charter school plan. The only proponents of the charter school were the people seeking to establish it and those who worked for similar-style charter schools in the city.

A few community members created the website, lpsfourm.com, as place for people to present their views opposing the charter school.

A more comprehensive story will be in next week's Nassau Herald.