Elysian

Charter School

Of Hoboken

Renewal Application

December 18, 2000

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

1. Has the school made reasonable progress in meeting its established academic goals during the term of its charter? 4

2. Has student performance significantly improved on the

statewide assessment and other assessments? 12

3. Is the school fiscally solvent? 16

4. Is enrollment stable and at maximum? 18

5. Is the school’s governance and management

effective and efficient? 20

6. Has the school operated in accordance with the

terms of its charter? 26

7. Is the school operating within the applicable

statutory and regulatory scheme? 28

8. What are the school’s plans for the five years

of the next charter?

8.1 Changes and Improvements 34

8.2 School Accountability Plan 36

8.3 Facility Plan 38

8.4 Fiscal Plan 39

8.5 Projected Enrollment 42

Attachments:

• Summary Table (A) Ending Balance as a Percentage of Total Revenue 1998 - 2001.
• Summary Table (B) Federal, State, Local, and Other Revenue 1998 - 2002.
• Summary Table (C) Instructional and Administrative Cost Per Pupil 1998 - 2002.
• Summary Table (D) Percentage of Assets to Liabilities & Fund Balance 1998 - 2001.
• Summary Table (E) Annual Debt 1998 – 2000.
• Summary Table (F) Five Year Budget Projection

Elysian Charter School Renewal Application

Introduction

Elysian Charter School and the New Jersey Department of Education have shared a groundbreaking experience as the first cohort of New Jersey charter schools have progressed from concept to application to implementation and growth. As we move into the renewal process, it is a time of reflection on the birthing pains of delivering educational innovation and choice to the children and families we serve. This application will reflect a learning curve as well as some impressive positive outcomes. The effectiveness of Elysian’s process is most apparent to a visitor observing the school. It is best viewed as an assessment of what the Elysian Charter School has become after three plus years as well as a preview of what it will look like during the upcoming five years.

One would see a caring, nurturing, active, and child-centered environment where children are valued and respected; with an ongoing priority on what is best for the children. One would see a culture being built which reflects the diversity of its population and a desire for an inclusive school community of lifelong learners. Building trust and developing a sense of justice and fairness are reflected in the day-to-day operations of the school and the interaction between all of the people involved -- both children and adults.

One would see busy classrooms with children actively engaged with materials and activities that are developmentally appropriate for each age group. The curriculum reflects a careful consideration of bias free content. Questions and risk-taking are considered important parts of the learning process. Language and communication are encouraged to support children's growth.

One would see a different model of school leadership. Almost 30 years of teaching experience influences the Director's use of instructional, moral and ethical leadership which reflects the integrity of the process for growth and development on a continuum. This includes respect, support, and the recognition for teacher autonomy which leads to self-reflection and evaluation, and ultimately, to growth and improvement.

One would see a warm, caring, diverse staff who are committed to the development of each student in the school. This staff has been carefully chosen so that individual staff talents; (i.e. science and technology expertise, special education certification, etc.) build a well-rounded group. This multi-talented staff contributes to the school in many ways. They are a team of people working together, listening and responding to each other and to the children, in order to support the education of the students and their colleagues.

One would see parents participating in the school, adding to the richness of the school community with their ideas and talents.

This document is best viewed as an assessment of what the Elysian Charter School has become after three plus years as well as a preview of what it will look like during the upcoming five years.

1. Has the school made reasonable progress in meeting its established academic goals during the term of its charter?

The answer to this question is a clear and convincing YES, as the term of Elysian’s charter has been marked by steady progress:

Year 1

The Elysian Charter School was created as a parent/teacher/community collaborative designed to engage and guide students in understanding their complex world through an exploration of the human and natural resources of their most immediate environment-Hoboken, New Jersey, and neighboring New York City. The school offers a child-centered setting that emphasizes and encourages critical thinking skills, active learning and interdisciplinary projects.

In Year 1, the School fulfilled its mission. After receiving a charter in January 1997, Lydia Becker, a public school classroom teacher, was hired as Elysian’s Director. Ms. Becker has provided consistent and effective leadership for the entire term of the School’s existence. By the following August, the educational team was in place, with an integrated curriculum developed. The School was open and functioning in September.

Key academic accomplishments of Year 1 include:

· Developing an integrated curriculum to achieve the Core Curriculum Content Standards.

· Adapting the curriculum to meet individual student needs.

· Involving all students in experiences that address each of the content standards.

· Examining how children learn, how children construct knowledge, and their developmental readiness for themes, concepts and skills.

· Using student experiences and interests in developing the integrated curriculum.

· Implementing the student assessment program.

Elysian's authentic assessment program was a collaborative staff effort in which teachers created portfolios for each student; with work selection by the teacher and by the child. To establish objective quantifiable assessment criteria, Elysian incorporated the use of the REBUS Work Sampling System, developed and found to be valid by the University of Michigan. In this program, teachers are trained to: refine their observational skills; connect their perceptions to a well-defined framework of developmental checklists; use their observations to improve instruction; and maximize each student's learning. Teachers complete individual developmental checklists for each student twice per school year. These are reported in two written narrative reports and two conferences in order to communicate this information with families. Portfolios are cumulative, following the child grade-by-grade as he or she progresses through the School.

Year 2

The Year 2 goal was to ensure greater coordination of the School's emergent curriculum with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. The key challenge was to most effectively meet the Core Standards while maintaining adherence to the School’s mission and to principles of child development (i.e. how children learn and construct knowledge).

To achieve that goal, the staff integrated the Standards with both Elysian’s thematic integrated curriculum and the hands-on material used. Themes were developed to begin with a core idea in Social Studies or Science using the children's firsthand experiences and interests. Other subject areas, such as Math and Literacy, were integrated into the teaching of this theme. Math and Literacy were also taught with individual, small group and whole group instruction. Teaching methods and materials varied to meet the needs of individual children. If a child had additional needs, the staff worked together to explore ways to meet those needs. Class trips were both the motivating and culminating aspects of theme development to fulfill the School's mission.

An added activity was monthly school-wide community meetings. Although programs for these meetings varied, the goal was to encourage a stronger sense of community through sharing of work, stories and music. An annual overnight trip to the Pocono Environmental Center was initiated to learn about working together in the spirit of community building, provide hands-on nature study, compare and contrast with the urban Hoboken experience, and to preserve the environment.

Year 3

Progress in meeting Core Curriculum Standards through meaningful interactive curriculum was advanced through the introduction of a greater emphasis on staff development. Staff development plans grew from teachers’ self-evaluations and reflections. Training sessions were held during August, during weekly after-school meetings and once-a-month early dismissal days for staff development.

Based on the Bank Street model, Elysian's child-centered, thematic, interdisciplinary approach incorporated hands-on, integrated learning; cooperative learning; and peer mentoring. This approach helped to build a school community where all children are accepted, valued, and thrive. The School's goal of building a family-school partnership was achieved by many community events, family workshops and conferences, as well as student narrative and developmental reports.

The School's Mission is being achieved in a positive, strong, clear, and deliberate manner. All students engage in active learning, using critical thinking skills to study and solve real human and environmental issues. Class trips, class discussions, and curriculum development have created a school where children engage in critical thinking and the transfer of knowledge to many domains. The emergent curriculum addresses developmentally appropriate and interest-based learning tightly coordinated with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in a meaningful, child-centered way. Inquiry learning is encouraged by providing discovery and inductive learning experiences as students advance from what they know to exploring key questions, varied answers and solutions.

In the School’s third year, the performing arts, as addressed in the NJCCCS, have become an integral part of Elysian's program. Public speaking is incorporated through school-wide community meetings, classroom discussions, a formal music program, dance and poetry residencies, and building an ongoing relationship with the New Victory Theater in New York City.

Another significant Year 3 accomplishment was the addition of Before and more extensive After School Programs, which meet the needs of working parents while offering additional academic assistance, social stability, and supplemental nutrition. Elysian also added a full program of after-school clubs.

Year 4 – Current Year

In the current year the Elysian Charter School is reflecting on its progress to date, and preparing to enter its second (five-year) term as a charter school. In presenting summary data for the School’s academic accomplishments, certain considerations must be noted:

1. Each year of the School’s existence has been marked by a process of development. The educational program being offered today is greatly advanced in scope and sophistication from the program in Year 1.

2. Hoboken and the surrounding sending districts are cities of tremendous diversity with the School’s students reflecting that diversity. Students come to Elysian with great differences in academic preparation, economic circumstances, cultural heritage, and language.

3. A significant gap in the School’s initial design was the lack of an effective means of establishing a measure of baseline academic achievement. In part, this gap reflected the need to create a unique authentic assessment program and to learn how to create objective quantifiable criteria coordinated with the Core Curriculum Standards. The gap has been addressed as described later in this report.

In order to review academic progress of the students attending Elysian Charter School, this report must first describe the unique assessment system. Assessment includes a developmental checklist, work sampling methodology and the NAPE System.

Work Sampling In The Classroom[1]

The Work Sampling System is a performance assessment system whose purpose is to document and assess children’s skills, knowledge, behavior, and accomplishments across a wide variety of curriculum areas on multiple occasions in order to enhance teaching and learning.

The Work Sampling System consists of three complimentary elements:

· Developmental Guidelines and Checklists,

· Portfolios,

· Summary Reports.

Work Sampling calls for ongoing assessment that is summarized three times per year. By reflecting classroom goals and objectives, it helps teachers monitor children’s progress and places children’s work within a broad developmental perspective. Through documenting and evaluating individual performance of classroom-based tasks, Work Sampling strengthens student motivation, assists teachers in instructional decision making, and serves as an effective means for reporting children’s progress to families, educators, and the community.

The Work Sampling System is an authentic performance assessment, which uses actual classroom-based experiences, activities, and products. It is a curriculum-embedded assessment, enabling teachers to learn about their students by encouraging students to show what they know and what they can do when solving problems, writing in journals, constructing with blocks, painting with various media, doing experiments, or simply interacting with peers.

The Work Sampling System encompasses seven major domains of classroom learning:

I. Personal and Social Development

II. Language and Literacy

III. Mathematical Thinking

IV. Scientific Thinking

V. Social Studies

VI. The Arts

VII. Physical Development

NAPE Evaluation

Vivian Wallace, a New York City Staff Developer and founder of Central Park East School in Manhattan, whose expertise and work is in emergent curriculum with descriptive and portfolio review of children, was hired to work with the Elysian Staff on these two areas. Ms. Wallace is an educator whose experience includes her work at the successful, innovative Central Park East School in Manhattan where these processes have been used extensively for documentation.

NAPE (Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner, Expert) is the system developed at Elysian to quantify the portfolio assessment system and link it effectively to the Core Curriculum Standards.

Each student’s work is collected in a portfolio. Chosen by both teacher and child to show progress, work samples are taken throughout the year, demonstrating special interests and talents as well as areas in need of development. Teachers constantly use these samples, as well as observations and anecdotal information from parents to assess children’s achievements, abilities, and progress.

Using a rubric developed at Elysian, teachers assign points to a checklist of benchmark achievements tied to each of the seven domains of the Work Sampling System (above).

Each benchmark receives 1 – 3 points (Not yet = 1 point; In Process = 2 points; Proficient = 3 points). A student is identified as a Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner, or Expert in each domain.

The benchmarks are assessed as developmentally appropriate for each grade level. The rubric allows teachers, parents, and administrators to view each child’s progress in subject area, overall achievement compared year-by-year. It also provides an aggregate framework for assessing the School’s progress. Please see Table 2 NAPE Results for a breakdown of current aggregate student achievement levels. Detailed checklists and other elements of the NAPE System are available for inspection during the site visit portion of the charter renewal process.

NAPE shows in a very clear way that the children are progressing along a continuum throughout their years at Elysian. It is much more explicit than the portfolio from which it is derived, while remaining based on the children’s work over time rather than a single test. Because of the rubric format, a child who is progressing steadily and evenly across the curriculum will advance through the levels of Novice, Apprentice, Practitioner, and Expert between Kindergarten and fifth grade. It demonstrates that the student is meeting the School’s expectations while being compared to individual growth, not a class standard.

For academic subject areas, the Novice level reflects expectations for pre-K, K, or 1^st grade performance indicators. The Apprentice level would usually correlate to K, 1^st or 2^nd grade expectations on the performance indicators. The Practitioner level usually incorporates expectations for the 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th graders, and the Expert level would typically mean performance at a 4^th or 5^th grade level. A performance level is inclusive of all previous levels’ expectations.

The Personal and Social Development as well as the Arts sections, are slightly different. These areas have specific age-appropriate expectations for the same performance indicators across the grades.

Summary of Results and Discussion of Progress (June 2000)

The baseline data collected were somewhat inconsistent due to the entry of children to Elysian from various public, private, and parochial schools. Only 28% of the 1999-2000 4^th grade class had attended Elysian as 2^nd graders when the school opened in 1997. Standardized test results for all of the children prior to their entry into our school were inconsistent, from subject to subject, and from year to year. With the exception of a few students, most children fell into the below-average range on tests that had been administered prior to entering Elysian. The parents of many of the students joining the school in the upper grades are drawn ny the School’s reputation for success with students who have had less than positive experiences in other educational settings.

The following data was collected from the NAPE rubric, and from the grade-level progress assessed in grades 3 and 4.

NAPE Rubric

The classroom teacher completed the developmental checklist using the following numerical scale: Novice = 4 points, Apprentice = 3 points, Practitioner = 2 points, Expert = 1 point. The range of scores possible in domain were as follows:

Domain Possible Point Range

I. Personal and Social Development 5 (Expert) - 20 (Novice)

II. Language and Literacy 4 (Expert) – 16 (Novice)

III. Mathematical Thinking 6 (Expert) – 24 (Novice)

IV. Scientific Thinking 3 (Expert) – 12 (Novice)

V. Social Studies 4 (Expert) – 16 (Novice)

VII. The Arts 2 (Expert) – 8 (Novice)

VIII. Physical Development 3 (Expert) – 12 (Novice)

The total points were calculated for each fourth grader. The cumulative results were as follows:

Novice (90-108) 0%

Apprentice (68-89) 4%

Practitioner (48-67) 50%

Expert (27-47) 46%

Table 1 Cumulative Results by Grade Level (Using prior standardized test results and standardized informal assessments.)
Measure	End of 3^rd Grade	End of 4^th Grade
Reading
Below Grade Level	40%	17%
At Grade Level	48%	37%
Above Grade Level	12%	46%
Math
Below Grade Level	44%	16%
At Grade Level	40%	46%
Above Grade Level	16%	38%

The Cumulative Results show:

• From 3^rd Grade to 4^th Grade a 23% reduction in reading below grade level.
• From 3^rd Grade to 4^th Grade a 28% reduction in math achievement below grade level.
• From 3^rd Grade to 4^th Grade a 34% increase in reading above grade level.
• From 3^rd Grade to 4^th Grade a 22% increase in math achievement above grade level.
• Overall reading at or above grade level improved by 23% from 60% to 83%.
• Overall math achievement at or above grade level improved by 38% from 56% to 84%.

All factors considered, this is a remarkable accomplishment in a very short time.

An analysis of the raw data in Table 2 shows that:

• Of 1^st Graders 43% of scores are at Novice Level; 39% at Apprentice and 17% at Practitioner or Expert.
• Of 2^nd Graders 6% of scores are at Novice Level; 46% at Apprentice and 48% at Practitioner or Expert.
• Of 3^rd Graders 21% of scores are at Novice Level; 54% at Apprentice and 25% at Practitioner or Expert.
• Of 4^th Graders 0% of scores are at Novice Level; 43% at Apprentice and 57% at Practitioner or Expert.
• Of 5^th Graders 5% of scores are at Novice Level; 8% at Apprentice and 87% at Practitioner or Expert.

The overall trend of the data is to demonstrate clear progress from grade to grade. Any anomalies in the above statistics indicate the limitations of a small sample skewed by student mobility. Over the next five years, it will be possible to accumulate a greater body of data as measured by both quantity of students and longitude of time. It is strongly suggested by the limited data available that a highly significant degree of progress is occurring among students attending Elysian Charter School.

Table 2 NAPE Results 1^st Trimester 2000-2001 A= Apprentice: considered to be on his/her way to meeting the goal; P= Practitioner; E= Expert: considered to have met the goal Total number of students in grade: 1^st grade – 24; 2^nd grade – 28; 3^rd grade – 27; 4^th grade – 14; 5^th grade – 25. NAPES not available for all students.
	1^st grade A level	1^st grade P & E level	2^nd grade A level	2^ndgrade P &E level	3^rd grade A level	3^rdgrade P & E level	4th grade A level	4^thgrade P & E Level	5^th grade A level	5^th grade P &E level
I.B. Personal & Social Development Self Control	10	12	3	23	9	20	8	6	6	17
I.D. Personal & Social Development Interaction with Others	11	13	5	23	7	21	8	6	4	19
II.B. Language and Literacy Speaking	15	1	18	8	26	3	3	11	1	22
II.D–E. Language and Literacy Writing & Spelling	6	0	23	3	20	9	5	9	3	21
III.A. Mathematical Thinking	11	1	16	3	25	1	7	7	4	20
IV. A. Scientific Thinking Observing & Investigating	13	2	6	19	4	25	7	7	1	23
IV. B. Scientific Thinking Questioning & Predicting	13	2	6	26	3	26	9	5	1	23
IV.C. Scientific Thinking Explaining & Forming Conclusions	15	2	15	20	4	25	9	5	1	23
V. A. Social Studies Human Similarities & Differences	3	0	25	1	23	1	3	11	0	24
V. B-E. Social Studies People …	1	0	21	1	24	2	3	11	0	24
VI. A. The Arts Expression & Representation	7	16	2	26	11	18	10	4	1	22
VII. A. Physical Development Gross Motor Development	8	1	15	9	19	8	1	13	1	23

2. Has student performance significantly improved on the statewide assessment and other assessments?

In Year 3 Elysian became a K-4 school. As a result the School's 4^th grade students participated in the ESPA tests for the first time in May 2000. Twenty-four children took these tests in the regular classroom. One child with an Individual Education Program (IEP) took the test in the Resource Room. Two others did not take the test because they had recently immigrated to the U.S. and were not proficient in English. Of the students who took the ESPA only seven (28%) had been in the School for three years. Thus, the ESPA data is nearly meaningless at this time.

The results of a single cohort of test takers have limited significance. Comparative same year data from sending districts have not been published. There have been changes made in the ESPA tests reducing the validity of different year comparisons. The available data is as follows:

Table 3; General Education ESPA Results
	Language Arts			Math			Science
	PP	P	Adv	PP	P	Adv	PP	P	Adv
Elysian Charter 1999-00	62.2	38.1	0	45.8	45.8	8.3	16.7	62.5	20.8
Sending Districts comparable figures for May 2000 not available at this time.

To validate the results of the portfolio assessments discussed in Question 1 (above), the Elysian Charter School contracted with a team of outside educational consultants. The consultants were led by Robert Smith, Ph.D., former Director of the Graduate Center For Human Development, College of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Smith’s consulting team consists of Ph.D. level staff, all of whom were faculty at the Graduate Center For Human Development with extensive public and alternative school teaching and consulting experience.

Excerpts from Dr. Smith’s report follow. The entire report is available for review upon request.

“Summary[2]

An external Review Team collected and reviewed information and data about student portfolios and investigated how these portfolios are being assessed and used at the Elysian Charter School in Hoboken, NJ. The team made an on-site visit to the school and conducted an intensive interview with faculty. The Review Team confirms that the Elysian School Faculty is involved in a valid, on-going and conscientious process of portfolio assessment that is closely integrated with and well grounded in the school's mission.”

“I. OVERVIEW: This Report's Purpose and the Unique Nature of Portfolio Assessment

The purpose of this report is to provide the results of an external review/investigation of how students' performance at Elysian School is assessed/evaluated through the use of portfolios. The Review Team has gathered information from the Elysian Charter School through an on-site visit, an intensive interview with faculty members, a review of relevant documents and data. This report will provide some conclusions, recommendations, and a baseline for the school to use as it continues to develop this process in its next five year phase.

In conducting this review, the Review Team sees portfolio assessment as representing a profound shift in attitudes toward how learning is evaluated. The use of portfolios in classrooms helps shift teachers' emphasis from the assessment of outcomes through comparative rankings of achievement (grades, percentile rankings, test scores) toward the enhancement of student performance through evaluative feedback and reflection. The Review Team sees portfolios as neither just assessment nor instruction but a synergistic intersection of the two that fuels student progress. Teachers and students, working together, can use this systematic and organized collection of evidence to monitor and enhance student development and advancement.

The Review Team also understands that portfolio assessment is a process still very much in the process of being created - there are no firm guidelines/ rules and virtually no published statistical validation of the effects of this process. Portfolios seek to capture an accurate portrait of the whole child which can be used in many ways in addition to assessment such as informing and educating parents. [see http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/notes/5/portfolio.html]”

“II. EVIDENCE

The Review Team has gathered evidence and information about the staff's progress in developing portfolio assessment, in identifying issues, and in developing strategies for moving ahead.

A. Evidence of progress from the Elysian School's initial efforts to use portfolios”

“In order to determine the progress the School has been making, the Review Team gathered information about the early efforts to create and assess the portfolios. There is clear evidence that the staff has made progress in creating and assessing portfolios:

· This has been a grassroots effort involving the entire staff.

·The staff has worked together to develop a consistent and evolving process of how to create portfolios and how to get gather information .

·The staff studied and employed REBUS - a work sample system, which led to a checklist to help in standardization.

·In the 1st year, the staff focused on the need to find how to best communicate with parents which led to Fall & Spring forms and formats. A Parent Response Sheet was developed.

·The Staff has recognized the need for baseline numbers and the NAPE process was initiated last Spring to collect these numbers.

· Teachers have learned to be increasingly systematic in collecting samples of student work.”

“B. Evidence that the school is currently addressing important issues regarding the use of portfolios

There is evidence that the portfolio assessment system is advancing:”

“Making Progress visible has become an important challenge:

· The staff goes to great lengths to educate parents and community about how the assessment system operates and its advantages over the more familiar and traditional grading system. They "translate" how learning is achieved and how much knowledge is gained from this participative , developmental and individualized approach.

· The staff has worked hard to make sure that student progress is visible and tangible by discovering how to better collect work samples and learning more about what has not been collected. There's more and better sampling now, which is more representative of each individual child. Methods are used to document individual as well as team oriented work.”

“The Staff has increasingly sought to gather numerical data:

· by increasing standardization of sampling

· by continuing to develop forms to be appropriate for older children - the format for younger children needs to be more specific for the older students

· by utilizing the NAPE

· by arranging the portfolio both chronologically and thematically

· by focusing on individual developmental goals for each student

· There are several sources of data that accompany the portfolios in the assessment of student progress. The Elysian School has made admirable efforts to keep data-based records of students and has worked to develop both numerical and descriptive data. The Review Team has made some observations and comments regarding data collection in its summary at the end of this report.”

“On-going staff commitment to the portfolio assessment process is very evident:

· Staff meeting time is used to discuss individual students .

· Daily anecdotal records of each student are recorded.

· The staff is aware that they are teaching by example by a means of self assessment that has "real world" applications.”

“D. Evidence the portfolio process has evolved uniquely from the school's mission and objectives

· There is a great deal of evidence that the staff has worked vigorously to remain congruent with the school's mission and objectives. The items listed earlier in this report are full of their ideas about staying true to the mission. For example, there is continuous emphasis on building on students' strengths.

· According to the Elysian School's brochure: "Teachers help students face new educational challenges as they gain a firmer grasp of skills they've already acquired….Academic growth can't be separated from personal and social growth…. Student development doesn't follow a straight line - it involves changes in the way a person understands and copes with the world." The portfolio assessment process is a means of supporting this mission.”

“III. SUMMARY AND COMMENTS

Based on the Review Team's professional experience with schools such as this, we can verify that the staff is progressing in its work to address the complex issues of portfolio assessment. We found abundant evidence that the Elysian School is engaged in a valid process. Among the factors providing evidence for the validity of their efforts are: continuous and strong group effort, experimentation, risk taking, data gathering, searching for clear and creative ways of making progress visible.

The Review Team believes that the faculty has made valid substantial, theoretically sound, highly professional, and integrative advances in the on-going process of developing ways of assessing portfolios in relation the mission of the school.

At Elysian School, the Review Team has seen a process of progressive development toward a systematized approach to developing portfolio assessment. The faculty has been able to keep their on-going deliberations about portfolio assessment integrated into the curriculum and has appropriately used the portfolios as educational/instructive as well as assessment tools.

Having examined the records of individual student improvement, it is our conclusion that there is a clear consistent trend toward improved student performance. The data collected, however, will require greater time and a greater number of students to determine statistical significance.

The Review Team studied spreadsheets listing every student and his/her NAPE scale progress. There is clear evidence of student progress according to this instrument. It is difficult to draw significant statistical conclusions from these scores because that is not the main purpose and intention of portfolio assessment.

In addition to the information gathered directly from faculty members, we also reviewed student performance as measured by the NAPE scale. This data shows consistent progress over time. Due to its time in existence and therefore the brief amount of time that portfolios have been used the time has not yet arrived for the Elysian School to be able to demonstrate statistically significant conclusions concerning portfolio assessment.

There are several sources of data that accompany the portfolios in the assessment of student progress. The Elysian School has made admirable efforts to kept data-based records of students and has worked to develop both numerical and descriptive data.

In conclusion, we are highly impressed with the substantial progress made in portfolio development and assessment, as well as with the creativity, dedication and wisdom of the staff.”

3. Is the school fiscally solvent?

The Elysian Charter School of Hoboken submits the following document as concise evidence that the school has competently and effectively managed its finances. (See attached)

• Summary Table (A) showing the ending balance amount as a percentage of total revenue, for each of the fiscal years 1998 - 2001.
• Summary Table (B) showing the breakdown between federal, state, local, and other sources of revenue for fiscal years 1998 - 2002.
• Summary Table (C) showing the instructional and administrative cost per pupil for fiscal years 1998 - 2002.
• Summary Table (D) showing the percentage of assets to liabilities & fund balance for fiscal years 1998 - 2001.
• Summary Table (E) for fiscal years 1998 - 2000 showing the size of annual debt and whether it is short or long term.
• Summary Table (F) Five Year Budget Projection.

Note 1: In Summary Table (A) the negative fund balance (-21,867) for 1999 was a result of a one-time, unanticipated posting of accrued payroll liability (vacation and sick time) and misposted income and expenses from the Federal Charter School Grant. Federal revenues issued to the school are first distributed to the states. Therefore, all sources of federal and state revenues are recorded at the state level only.

Note 2: In Summary Table (D) there was no major capital outlay made in FY 1999 to increase fixed assets. This is due to the fact that the School accommodated two new classes in the existing space without increasing administrative or support areas. Offsetting these savings were expenses incurred in the attempted purchase of a building to house the school. The School now has a long-term site in compliance with applicable law.

Note 3: In Summary Table (E) the School does not rely heavily on outside sources of revenue nor does it have any long-term or short-term debt. For the first three years, the School acquired a Prudential Foundation Charter School Loan annually in order to bridge the gap between incoming expenses and incoming revenue.

The Board has been determined to comply with the accounting standards that have been set for charter schools and has implemented a Corrective Action Plan. Under the plan the School conforms to accounting and reporting procedures that keep us in compliance with Department of Education Division of Fiscal Standards and Efficiency.

The Year 1 audit (1997-1998) pointed to procedural shortcomings. Although there were bookkeeping errors, all expenditures were accounted for and the School was otherwise fiscally healthy. In early 1999, the Treasurer began to compile a procedural manual to improve financial controls and practices. The part-time Business Manager hired in 1999 began implementation of those procedures and has identified additional improvements. The Business Manager position was elevated to a full-time staff position in 2000.

The Year 2 audit (1998-1999) was undertaken as the School undertook the reorganization spelled out in the initial Corrective Action Plan. The audit again showed the School to be in solid financial shape but with procedural shortcomings. However, it is important to noted that many corrections called for in the 1998-1999 audit were being put into place while the audit was being prepared.

The Year 3 (1999-2000) audit is being completed at the same time this application is being written. It will document successful implementation of all policies and procedures identified as needed in the Corrective Action Plan. The audit is not uncovering shortcomings that were noted in first two audits.

The Business Manager maintains an accurate and complete double-entry accounting system. Regular budgetary reports are made to Board. A program of office staff training has been initiated.

For FY 2000-2001 the School has managed its finances without requiring a loan. It has done so mainly through improved revenue collection, especially from the largest sending districts. Because Elysian Charter School students come from as many as 10 school districts with varying payment schedules and procedures, revenue collection has been a complex process.

The anticipated capital expansion at the end of the current fiscal year will make the initiation of a loan advisable. The anticipated capital expense is for expansion of the School’s facility to meet the needs of a planned increase in enrollment. Through prudent financial management the School has been able to accumulate a modest capital reserve which will reduce the level of anticipated borrowing. Please reference section 8.3 Facility Plan.

4. Is enrollment stable and at maximum?

Elysian Charter School has a lower mobility rate and higher attendance rate than either of its primary sending districts, indicating a high level of student motivation and parental satisfaction. The 1999 move to a permanent facility was a significant factor in improved enrollment rates.

Table 4: Enrollment
Academic Year	Projected Enrollment	Actual Enrollment	Waiting List
1997 – 1998	90	77	0
1998 – 1999	120	97	0
1999 – 2000	150	150	20
2000 – 2001	180	180	32

Mobility Rate

1999-00 Elysian Charter 13.3%

1998-99 Hoboken 15.8%

1998-99 Jersey City 28.9%

Student Attendance Rate

1998-99 Elysian Charter 97.8%

1998-9 9 Hoboken 92.5%

1998-99 Jersey City 90.6%

Reasons That Students Left Elysian

• 19 moved away or realized the commute was too great a challenge.
• 14 returned to district schools.
• 6 enrolled in religious schools.
• 13 transferred to other charter schools.

Sending District Enrollment Figures as of 11/15/00

The Elysian Charter School student body is made up of students residing in Hoboken, Jersey City and other surrounding districts. The distribution is as follows:

Hoboken 52%

Jersey City 31%

Other (8 districts) 17%

Although there are now choices in public education, in Hoboken there is little affordable housing in Hoboken. As a result many people can't remain here as their families grow. Therefore Hoboken will continue to have an ever-changing population. When Elysian opened four years ago, it was the first charter school to open in Hoboken. The School attracts a truly representative cross section of area children with about 40% coming from low-income families.

Upon award of the charter, several important actions had to happen within a short timetable. These actions included: employing the Director and teachers; securing a facility; and providing notification to the community. Community notification involved putting ads in the paper, distributing flyers, initiating community meetings; as well as a significant amount of personal time the founding parents took talking to neighbors and community leaders. Despite the tremendous effort the founding parents made to make sure all eligible families in Hoboken knew about the new charter school, enrollment proved to be a challenge.

One portion of the community was angry about and/or feared initiation of a local charter school, and these reactions extended to the charter school movement in general. This made community outreach complicated because there was a dual desire on the part of the founders not to offend existing community sensibilities, but to make clear that Elysian provided a choice in public education.

Many Hoboken families were not entirely pleased with the education their children received through the existing public school system. However, many were afraid to send their children to Elysian. It was a new school with no track record, and initially, no facility to visit. In addition, parents feared negative public opinion. As the years have passed, many of these families have come to Elysian. Other families, newer to Hoboken, would rather move than send their children to the Hoboken public schools. A primary reason that parents worked to found the School was that young families were leaving Hoboken in search of quality educational opportunities.

Elysian opened its doors to two kindergarten classes and two first grades; but was able to fill only one second grade that first year. It became apparent that parents of younger children were more willing to take a chance with a new school as this was their "first best hope." Parents of older children were more hesitant about transferring them to a school that was essentially untried and unknown.

In preparing for a second year, Elysian built upon the work of the founding parents. New parents joined the Board's Outreach Committee and strategized on reaching out to the community. Facility issues were an impediment to recruitment. Another charter school opening in Hoboken also impacted enrollment. Parents asked about the differences between the two schools.

It took time for both schools to define themselves, both internally and externally. By the end of Year 2, the differences between the schools was becoming clear to parents who were considering both. At that point, Elysian became more skilled at presenting the School to prospective parents. It became clear that parents of prospective students needed a full understanding of the School's philosophy and its workings in order to make good choices.

Elysian began to think about other ways to reach out and teach about the School. Elysian held Community Workshops, in which teachers would give parents and community visitors a first hand opportunity to experience how students at Elysian used manipulatives in math for all grades. The School offered a similar workshop on literacy. Parents loved these workshops because they were able to better understand how their children were learning. People visited in order to see Elysian in action. Workshops are now offered consistently, with more and more community people attending each year.

Elysian decided to hold Orientation Sessions for new parents, to guarantee that incoming families thoroughly understood the school their children would be attending. Several sessions were held so that all in-coming families could attend.

It was noted that when applications came from families that had not visited Elysian, those families generally ended up not selecting the School even if they won a place in the lottery. Thus, all applicants were telephoned and encouraged to come to the Open Houses as well as joining a tour of the School in action.

By the end of Year 2, an Outreach Coordinator position was created to lead tours, organize open houses, arrange publicity, mailings, and distribute posters around Hoboken.

Elysian created a brochure, which has been revised and updated yearly. Currently, with an application enclosed, this brochure is distributed to various community sites, including the YMCA, the public library, and in local shops.

The tours are comprehensive. Parents are asked to take their time, ask questions, and review the classrooms. At the same time, parents see students at various grade levels, watch students at work, and in meetings. As a result of the Open Houses, Community Workshops, and tours of Elysian, parents who accept places are doing so for the “right” reasons - not because they are fleeing what they perceive to be bad schools, but because this is the school they want their children to attend. Recruitment materials are printed in Spanish as well as English. In addition, Elysian has developed a web site and a database mailing list.

5. Is the school’s governance and management effective and efficient?

I. Composition of the Board

A. Board Makeup

Elysian Charter School Board Of Trustees

John Bauers, Chair Parent

Brian Grady, Vice Chair Parent

Beth Heinsohn, Secretary Parent

Anthony Davis, Treasurer Parent

Michael Evers Parent, Founder

Ted Lawrence Parent

Magdalena Porrata Parent

Jeanne Rotunda Educator, School Principal, Hoboken Resident, Founder

Gil Schmerler Educator, Graduate Faculty, Bank Street College

The Board, consistent with its charter, is elected by the membership of the school, which allots one vote per family and one vote per full-time staff member. As anticipated in the original charter application, parents make up the bulk of the Board membership. An effort has been made in the past two years to reach out to a broader community by identifying talented and qualified individuals to meet specific Board needs. In its four years of existence the Board has gone from one initially comprised of parent founders to one whose members represent a broader community with a wider variety of talents and backgrounds.

B. Conflict of Interest

The Charter has a stated goal of maintaining a "proactive Board of integrity whose members are committed to the public education and well-being of the children...and to the philosophy and purpose of the charter school" and thus contains very specific restrictions on individuals with any financial and political conflict of interest, exceeding the requirements of State Law. These guidelines, included in the bylaws, have been meticulously adhered to through the nominating and election processes. Board policy states that no Board member, or family member of a Board member, shall derive income or profit from the operation of the charter school. All mandated ethics forms have been duly filed with the State Department of Ethics and the County Superintendent.

C. Turnover

The Board has had six resignations over the first four years. Like many of our sister charter schools, early Board members were heavily involved in day-to-day organizational and administrative efforts which required extraordinary commitments of time. This took its toll, and those Board members who resigned cited personal conflicts for their inability to fulfill their terms.

D. Board Roles, Responsibilities and Training

The Board, although inexperienced in the role of running a school and drafting policy, was extraordinarily proactive when it came to community outreach, distributing posters, providing refreshments for open houses, hauling furniture, setting up and cleaning classrooms, doing bookkeeping and assisting in day-to-day administration. Such Board over-involvement, so necessary in the early years, is lessening as the school grows and the Director has the support of a dependable paid staff.

Elysian Board members attended training sessions hosted by the Charter School Resource Center in 1997-98. These led to self-initiated, private training sessions held during the winter of 1998 with Michael Chirichello. As a result, Elysian's Board began to better understand and define its role; set philosophical and practical goals; and began to grow into a board that can oversee and direct the staff. The Board is now required to participate in training offered by the New Jersey School Boards Association. The first trainings will take place early in 2001. New members elected after April 2000 are required to attend, with other members strongly encouraged to participate in that training.

II. Management Challenges and Solutions

A. Governance by Democracy

Among the multitude of challenges faced in opening a brand new school was implementing the School's by-laws and learning to work within them. The School's first Board elections typify the experience.

Although the School's bylaws had set forth a highly specific set of rules, deadlines, and procedures for the election, they didn't anticipate certain situations. In this case, the Board Officers were to be elected by the school-wide membership at the annual members meeting -- the same meeting (and using the same ballot) at which Board members were to be elected. The result was confusion. The membership did not know who would be elected to the Board; therefore, which candidates were qualified and willing or capable of serving as an officer.

Issues such as this led into a long and difficult process of examining the bylaws with an eye toward amending them to better serve the school. This process involved special Board meetings, and subsequent submission of an extensively redrafted set of by laws. Eventually, a set of amendments were presented to and approved by the general membership at the annual and special members meetings. The results were simpler, more open set of election procedures, a simpler method of amending the bylaws, and a greater appreciation of the difficulties of operating in a democratic model.

The Board insures that Board meetings are appropriately noticed in accordance with New Jersey’s Open Public Meetings Act and that appropriate notice is provided to employees before a pertinent issue is addressed at a Board meeting. The Board is also sensitive to insuring that individual’s privacy is protected. When necessary, such matters (e.g. personnel and negotiations) are discussed appropriately in closed session.

B. Fiscal Responsibilities

In the early days of Elysian, finances were handled by volunteers. The first audit showed the school to be solvent, expenditures and revenues to be on target, but controls to be lax and non-compliant. The audit was submitted so late (May 1998) that the Corrective Action Plan (CAP) could not be implemented before the books were closed in Year 2 (June 1999). Consequently, the second audit turned up some of the same problems as in Year 1. Although delayed as well in March 2000 that audit was then completed with many of the controls in place. The school now complies with the most recent CAP. The Board has been -- and now, more that ever, continues to be -- committed to the running of an efficient administration that can be more timely and accurate in its reporting.

Although late with reporting, the School has been consistently solvent and responsible in the way that it has collected and spent public money. Past administrative shortcomings were in part, a function of inexperience in fiscal management of a public school, as well as a function of a budget that has an intentional focus on children and classroom (with limited funding for administration and offices). The initial Board hired a master teacher as its leader because that is where it wanted the Director's focus -- in developing and implementing a strong, distinctive educational program. In order to improve administrative functions, the School hired a bookkeeper in fall of 1999, who subsequently assumed the position of business manager in July of 2000.

As the School grows, the small office staff manages all the programs and reporting that a district with much larger and more expensive staff does: administering the same breakfast and lunch programs, overseeing a successful after-school program, tracking enrollment, and recruiting new students. Director acts as both Superintendent and Principal, doing a complex job with great accomplishment despite the limited resources. The School remains committed to exemplary program development, improvement in efficiency, and continued wise use of funds. In this way Elysian can become a model of fiscal efficiency as well as academic excellence.

C. Facilities

The Board once described its primary goal as "location, location, location." While desperately searching for space to accommodate the growing program, Elysian spent two challenging years crammed into a 3^rd floor corner of the Wallace School (a public elementary school in Hoboken in which the School leased space). The Board did identify a building, investing a good deal of time, energy, and money in 1998-99 planning its purchase and renovation. Although this effort had the unfortunate effect of distracting the Board's attention from other work that needed to be done, it did provide the opportunity to work closely with civic and political leaders in the city. This alliance eventually resulted in the Board procuring the School’s current space the HOPES, Inc., (a 501(c)(3) corporation operating a Head Start program) owned Rue School Building. The good will established in that process was of immeasurable help in last summer’s ambitious renovation project last summer that added new classrooms and office space to the existing space. This also helped advance a primary goal of the School, that is, to reach out to all sectors of the Hoboken community. The location of the School in this shared space has currently allowed for more connected outreach. As other tenants include day care and Head Start, they act as feeder programs to Elysian, strengthening its enrollment. The five-year facility plan is addressed in Section 8 of this application. Suffice it to say here, the Elysian Charter School looks forward to an increasingly mutually beneficial relationship with HOPES as it continues to grow.

D. Mandated Policies

The Board and its leadership has carefully tracked policies required by statute and by grant funders, adopting them whenever necessary. This includes policies on discipline, special education, etc. The School has sought to maintain close contact with the New Jersey Department of Education, the County Superintendent, and any other agencies necessary to stay abreast of any developments, in order to have policies explained and voted on at monthly Board meetings.

DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Gluck, Hayden, and Cole, a law firm experienced in educational law has been engaged to provide advice and counsel on relevant legal questions.

E. Evaluations, Complaints, and Responsiveness

In the early days of the school, Board meetings were well attended by members of the public, as they were informal affairs that welcomed discussion by all. (They were once described as better resembling a "talk show" than a Board meeting.) Because most Board members are parents who are active in the school, there has always been an easy and informal line of communication to the Board. Board communication often involves the easy access at school drop-off and pick-up, on chaperoned field trips, school events, and in the streets and parks of Hoboken.

Although Board meetings have grown more formal in parliamentary procedure (a result of "growing into the job,") communication remains very open. Indeed, parents are more often than not included in discussions at Board meetings. Adding to that, the "open-door" policy of the Director and staff, with "Coffees with Lydia" (monthly, informal get-togethers with the Director at which parents are invited to air concerns and ask questions), the School has developed an environment in which the thoughts and feelings of parents are well known and well heard.

This type of communication has resulted in many actions taken by the director and board over the years, often informally. For example, in the first two years there were questions about what a "progressive" educational model really was, and what the children were doing in class. Although there was a staff policy requiring periodic newsletters to be sent home, parental concerns -- expressed at board meetings, in private conferences, and in the hallways -- resulted in weekly class newsletters going home. (This was in addition to the widely read school newsletter). Also, the "Coffee with Lydia" was instituted to provide parents with ample opportunity to air concerns or ask questions.

Another example of this proactive, informal communication occurred concerning calendar. When located at Wallace School, Elysian’s school schedule was tied to the Hoboken District's calendar, specifically including the District’s week-long vacation in the middle of November. Almost all Elysian parents and many staff thought this break in instruction was unnecessary and disruptive. A well-known concern around the school, this vacation was dropped when Elysian relocated to the new home. No formal complaint was really ever necessary -- it was simply the understood consensus of 100+ families.

A third example: at one point last year the Board received a formal letter that expressed concern about the School's discipline policy. The letter was distributed to the Board resulting in clarification by the Director through the weekly newsletter and implementation of parent workshops on discipline procedures. Although informal responses have been highly effective, the Board recognizes and met its statutory responsibility to establish a grievance committee made up of parents and teachers.

The Board has received one formal written complaint from a staff member alleging inappropriate, although not illegal, behavior on the part of a member. As required by law, the issue was thoroughly investigated. A clear policy specifying appropriate member behavior was adopted by the Board.

The Board has established an Advisory Grievance Committee consisting of both parents and teachers who are selected by the parents and teachers of the school. Committee members serve for one-year terms. The Advisory Grievance Committee is responsible for making non-binding recommendations to the board of trustees concerning the disposition of complaints brought to the board that allege violations of the provisions of the Charter School Program Act of 1995. The Advisory Grievance Committee has the following responsibilities:

• Basic research on the nature and substance of the complaint.
• Interviews (if necessary) of concerned parties.
• Development of a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

The Board will consider Advisory Grievance Committee recommendation as non-binding. The Board will review the recommendation and then make a decision which will be binding on all parties. Appeals of the Board’s decision can be made under the Charter School Program Act of 1995 (section 15), which allows for appeals to the Commissioner of Education. A copy of the Charter School Program Act of 1995 (N.J.S 18A:36A et. al.) is available in the office. To date the Advisory Grievance Committee has not been called upon to handle any complaints.

The Board completed a formal evaluation of the Director after Year 2 that cited strengths, weaknesses, and goals. At the completion Year 3, the Personnel Committee created a more formal evaluation process with a set of goals which will guide the future annual evaluation of the Director. The Board also successfully negotiated a three-year contract with the Director in the Summer 2000.

F. Challenges for the Next Five Years

The challenges of opening the School were daunting, and the challenges continue. Facilities will continue to be an issue during the next period of growth. Bookkeeping and financial reporting are very high priorities for improvement with the goal of tight systems firmly established to track money accurately and on a timely basis. Further, the highly motivated, professional, and loyal staff will deserve improved salaries and benefits. Much is demanded of this talented group as they have given much back to the school. The Board intends to reward them their due.

Further, the Board will establish a further institutionalization of Board functions in order to ensure smooth transitions of authority to the next generation of parents and community members who are willing to participate in this great educational enterprise. This includes establishing clear procedures, leaving a legacy of cooperation and efficiency for those that follow. As was stated in Elysian’s charter, the goal always is to maintain a proactive Board of integrity committed to the well being of the children and the purpose and philosophy of the School.

6. Has the school operated in accordance with the terms of its charter?

The Elysian Charter School’s major implementation plan elements include:

I. The Elysian Charter School is a public elementary school planning to serve children in Kindergarten through 8^th Grade with a special focus on the surrounding community and its resources.

The School has successfully added one grade per academic year since its inception when it began offering placements in grades K through 2. Following the planned implementation timeline, the School is currently educating students in grades K through 5 and will continue to add one grade per year until achieving the goal of offering education in grades K through 8.

II. The Elysian Charter School’s curriculum is based on the understanding and appreciation of human and natural resources in the community and will be implemented at a developmentally appropriate level through the use of on-site learning and critical thinking. All students are active participants in their own learning by self-monitoring as well as contributing to the emergent development of their curriculum.

The curriculum incorporates an appreciation of human and natural resources in the community, which is demonstrated by including neighborhood trips, parental involvement and hands-on learning activities. These aspects of the curriculum can be observed on a daily basis in all classrooms.

III. The Elysian Charter School utilizes an active learning approach to attain the goals and objectives outlined in the mission statement.

The active learning approach molds the entire curriculum as it ensures that the School provides students with opportunities to both raise questions and discover answers while working collaboratively. At all grade levels children utilize many different resources including relevant literature, trips in the community, interviewing family and community members, math manipulatives, school-wide community meetings, caring for and learning about classroom pets, mixed-age group reading buddies and hands-on learning centers.

Key Relevant Data Include:

Attendance Rates

Student 94%

Faculty 98%

Average Class Size: 15

Student/faculty Ratio (1999-2000) 12:1

11 Classrooms

2 per grade in K,1,2,3,5

1 in grade 4

Parent Participation Indicators (1999-2000)

· 80% of parents attended Orientation.

· 90% of parents attended Back to School Night.

· 95% parents attended the Halloween Party

· 95% of parents attended Class Presentations

· 90% of parents attended the End of Year School Picnic

· 40% of parents attended the Annual Meeting.

· Parents who could not attend the annual meeting were permitted to vote by proxy bring the total voting participation to 73%.

Regularly Scheduled Opportunities For Parental Involvement

• Coffees with Lydia (monthly)
• Parent Workshops on key subjects including discipline policy, testing and assessment procedures, methods and principles of progressive education as used in the School, etc.
• Parent Surveys
• PTO Organization
• Parent Volunteers used as: Reading Buddies; Class Parents; Class Trip Chaperons; Snack Volunteers; Assisting in Classrooms; etc.

Family Survey

A family survey was sent home to all Elysian Families (160 families). A copy of the survey with a breakdown of responses is below. 73 families responded.

· 17% of the responses were from people who have had children enrolled in the School from its opening (students in fourth year at Elysian).

· 20% are in their third year at the School.

· 28% are in their second year at the School.

· 31% are in their first year of the School.

· 4% did not indicate number of years.

The scale for responses ranged from 5 (strongly agree) to 1 (disagree).

Question 1: Elysian has encouraged critical thinking and problem solving techniques in my child’s learning

67% indicated 5

26% indicated 4

7% indicated 3

0% indicated 2

0% indicated 1

Question 2: My child has been offered a challenging curriculum based upon issues and questions related to Hoboken and the surrounding community. 56% indicated 5

32% indicated 4

14% indicated 3

0% indicated 2

0% indicated 1

Question 3: Elysian has created a strong sense of community using learning strategies.

68% indicated 5

26% indicated 4

5% indicated 3

0% indicated 2

0% indicated 1

Question 4: Elysian uses parent-teacher-community partnerships to maximize program

effectiveness and to connect the school and community.

79% indicated 5

18% indicated 4

3% indicated 3

1% indicated 2

0% indicated 1

Question 5: My child is enthusiastic about learning and about reaching personal potential. 81% indicated 5

15% indicated 4

5% indicated 3

0% indicated 2

0% indicated 1

7. Is the school operating within the applicable statutory and regulatory scheme?

· Services to students with educational disabilities

On March 1, 1999, a site visit was conducted at Elysian Charter School as part of a Year 3 special education program review by Anthony Errichetto, Hudson County Supervisor of Child Study. The school was found to be in compliance with all indicators except N.J.A.C.6A:14-2.3 (1)5, Indicator 5.1(b)PS Components, notice of identification meeting. It was found that one child who had transferred from the Hoboken Public School System was missing this form from a prior evaluation in that school. A Program Review Action Plan was submitted to the Hudson County office within 45 days. The students’ files were checked, and this problem was rectified. A system was also put into place for future referrals.

Elysian maintains a Resource Room in accordance with New Jersey special education laws as a center for providing services to children with educational disabilities and other special needs. Elysian strives for the inclusion of all children in regular classrooms. The “least restrictive environment” is provided through in-class support, supplemental instruction, and resource room programs. Children come to the Resource Room for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to out-of-class support for children with IEP'S. If a child is having behavioral difficulty the classroom and needs some quiet time to collect himself, the Resource Room can be a safe haven until he or she can get back on task again.

In addition to the Resource Room children have access to the Kuumba Room to explore special interests and engage in learning by exploration of these special interests. Kuumba is Swahili for “Creativity.” A major element of the Kuumba Room is the study of varied animal habitats set up in this room. The children are able to observe the animals in their habitats and learn about them through directed hands-on activities. Computers are also available, which can be used for individualized study and to enable students to go online with the assistance of a teacher. In addition to regular curriculum involving the Kuumba Room, the science teacher organizes an after-school program, in which children can further enjoy exploration of individual interests.

Additional uses of the Resource Room and Kuumba Room include:

• During lunchtime, teachers invite students to come into the Resource Room to have lunch with them.
• Students experience the Resource Room and Kuumba Room as a source of refuge and great respect. There is a constant flow of traffic in these rooms before school starts, during school hours and after school hours. The children come to ask borrow books or games of special interest to take home with them. The animals are also lent out on a daily basis and then returned to school the next day or after a weekend visit.

The responsibilities of supplemental teachers include:

· Work with individual children for in-class and out-of-class academic support;

· Accompany special needs students on class trips so that these children can safely attend;

· Accompany special needs children to outside classes so that the children were able to stay with their class and participate;

· Assist educationally handicapped students with writing;

· Ensure that all children can participate in all appropriate class activities.

Schedule Of Updating Individual Education Plans

• 1997-98 School Year: 1 first grade student was recommended to Hoboken Child Study Team for evaluation. The evaluation was incomplete at beginning of 98-99 year.
• 1999-00 School Year: 1 re-evaluation; 3 annuals; and evaluation for 1 child
• 2000-01 School Year: evaluation for 2 children; re-evaluation for 1 child; and IEP revision for 1 child

Table 5: Elysian Special Education and Support Services Provisions
Year Grades	Speech IEP'S	Supplemental Instruction (No IEP'S) Math and Literacy	Bilingual LEP	IEP'S	Occupational Therapy	Physical Therapy	Adaptations Accommodations for Special Needs	Itinerant Teachers
1997-98 K-2	No IEP's First Year-Staff Provided Services as Needed		1	0	0	0	1 Shadow Teacher	0
1998-99 K-3	4	21	1	1	1	0	1 Shadow Teacher	0
1999-00 K-4	5	20	3 (new)	4	5	0	1 Student Provided Elevator Service-Medical Condition 1 Student Provided out of class testing	FM Training for staff for HI student
2000-01 K-5	6	19	4	9	6	3	1 Title III aide 1 Title III FM Support 1 Title I Recess aide 1 Title III Computer 1 Title III Eye Patch Preferred seating	1 Teacher of Deaf

· Services to students with Limited-English Proficiency

Students with Limited-English Proficiency

• 1997-98 School Year: One student emigrated from China and enrolled in kindergarten.
• 1999-00 School Year: One student emigrated from Cuba and enrolled in the 4th grade; One student emigrated from China and enrolled in the 4^th grade; and One student emigrated from China and enrolled in the 2^nd grade.
• 2000-01 School Year: One student emigrated from Mexico and enrolled in the 2nd grade.

Services offered to students with Limited English Proficiency

• One-on-one sessions with student (twice per week for 30 minutes).
• Stories read in native language (bilingual books) and in English.
• Play word games.
• Computer software that uses vocabulary in both native language and English.
• Story writing in native language and in English.
• Translating letters and other material for the child's family.
• Immersion in the classroom.

World Languages Curriculum/Spanish Classes

In accordance with the NJCCS and the goals and objectives of the Elysian Charter, Spanish classes are provided for students. Although the children experience cultural experiences in grades K-1, formal language classes begin in second grade. The after-school enrichment club has provided club experiences in Japanese, Chinese, and Spanish.

The philosophy of the language classes emphasize:

· Respect for one's native culture and language;

· A curriculum built on respect for likenesses and differences;

· The importance of language immersion and individual support for the non-English speaking child;

· The importance of the integration of cultural experiences and the interrelationships with the language and culture;

· An appreciation of the arts as related to language and culture.

· Participation in Statewide Assessment Program

Participation of children with learning disabilities in ESPA Tests:

ESPA testing was conducted for the first time in May 2000. Twenty-four students took the ESPA in the regular classroom. One perceptually impaired child participated in testing with out-of-class accommodations. All 4th grade children were invited to arrive at the school ½ hour before school started to eat breakfast at a buffet served by school staff. The School offered extra after-school ESPA Test preparation time to all children. The one classified child participated in all ESPA preparation activities with the other students as well as receiving supplemental preparation during Resource Room activities.

· Student Discipline

In four years of operation no student has ever been expelled from Elysian Charter School and only 5 have been suspended. None of the students with an IEP had special conditions or requirements impacting on issues of student discipline.

Suspensions and Expulsions

Suspensions Expulsions

1997-98 0 0

1998-99 0 0

1999-00 1 0

2000-01 4 (1 in house) 0

Internal policies and procedures for students’ discipline:

The Elysian discipline policy is based on the creation of self-control and the creation of community. The time frame for learning about discipline is different for each child and for each age group. The School uses the following procedures:

1) If a child is disruptive he/she will be asked to stop and will be told the reason his/her behavior is unacceptable to the group.

2) If the child continues to be disruptive, he/she may be asked to leave the group. The child may return to the group when he/she feels ready to participate.

3) If the behavior continues when the child returns to the group, he/she may be asked to leave the group again, this time to go to the office or another classroom, depending on the frequency and nature of the disruptions.

4) Disrespectfulness, either in the form of physical aggression or verbal abuse, is cause for immediate separation from the group. Children need a serious amount of time to “cool down” from an angry episode (15-20 minutes). Talking about the problem prior to cooling down is unproductive. When the child has “cooled down,” it’s important for the child to have a time to tell his/her side of the story (right or wrong) to an adult listening closely and without interruptions. By listening, we let our children know we respect their feelings and that we will try to be fair. We try to help students understand the cause and effect of their behavior – and the consequences. Consequences must be connected to the negative behavior.

5) The child’s parents are called about serious behavioral issues, and follow-up conferences are held as needed.

Rules/Codes of Conduct

The following rules and codes of conduct govern student behavior. Students will:

· Treat each other and adults with respect.

· Avoid engaging in sexual harassment and gender bias.

· Avoid using racial and ethnic stereotypes.

· Not plagiarize in academic work.

· Not cheat on tests and other assessments.

· Not destroy or deface property.

· Not steal.

· Not create safety hazards for others or themselves.

Discipline Interventions have included:

· Exploring the event;

· Having the child take ownership for the role they played in the event;

· Holding the child accountable for their actions;

· Assignments to improve the school community (i.e. keeping the halls and bathrooms clean, being a reading buddy for a child in a younger class)

· Class behavior contracts;

· Personal behavior action plans;

· Writing in anger journals;

· Receiving additional one-on-one time from staff;

· Peer group discussions;

· Individual and class work contracts.

Disciplinary actions involving violations of the state law (NJ 18A:37-2, 37-22.1) or of the Code of Conduct will be referred by professional staff and teachers to the Director. The Director will take appropriate action after speaking to all concerned parties. Key action steps in the Director’s discipline procedures will include: 1) parent conferences, 2) official letters of reprimand/warning and, 3) consultations with teacher(s) and counselor(s).

For extremely serious infractions, the Director will recommend to the Board of Trustees the suspension or expulsion of the student. The Director and the Board will follow the guidelines of state law as delineated in 18A:37-2.3. Expulsion proceedings will be governed by NJ18A:37-2.1.

· Health and Safety

As mentioned in the NJCCS frameworks, Elysian is a "school community that recognizes and fosters the intrinsic value of wellness." The School presents an integrated program in Health Education and Physical Education. All students participate in physical education classes, movement classes, dance residencies, and structured recess activities.

The Health and Physical Education program includes:

• Wellness as a way of life.
• Workplace preparation.
• Personal, interpersonal, and life skills.
• Health promotion and disease prevention.
• Alcohol, tobacco, and drug education.
• Human sexuality and family life.
• Physical fitness.

This program includes adaptations and modifications for students with disabilities. A nutritional breakfast and lunch program is provided. The school facility is environmentally safe with construction, cleaning, and classroom practices in place to insure this. A school nurse has been employed to review student medical records and to provide for the appropriate health screening required at each age. A school counselor and a conflict resolution coordinator work to provide support for students and staff regarding mental health issues.

· Nondiscrimination

Inclusion Classes

Children with special needs are included in all aspects of the curriculum. Consultation is provided for classroom teachers from special education staff to provide support in order that the students can be successful in regular education classes (LRE).

Religious Diversity

Diversity is celebrated at Elysian through the development of respect and understanding of all likenesses and differences. Religious holidays are not celebrated in school nor are they used to drive the curriculum.

Special Considerations For Parents Include:

· Nighttime conferences are available for families as needed.

· Phone conferences are available, if necessary, with teachers.

· Flexible meeting and celebration times so all can attend.

· Scholarships for class trip expenses ensure full participation.

· Before and After School programs, with NJ Cares For Kids funding for low-income children.

· Free and reduced cost school breakfast and lunch programs.

· Big Brothers – Big Sisters Program.

8. What are the school’s plans for the five years of the next charter?

8.1 Changes and Improvements

As Elysian expands to grade eight, the main focus of growth is making sure that the school continues to develop appropriate curricula, resources and support staff for all grade levels. The following are key changes and improvements identified by parents, staff and Board and based on the assessment of student performance to date.

1) Develop a system for collecting baseline data when children enter the school. This type of system would include both a formal intake test such as the Terra Nova Survey Test that correlates with the standardized ESPA test and an expansion of the authentic assessment system to include baseline data.

2) Increase number of computers in classrooms and technology center (Kuumba Room) to continue to enable students to demonstrate an understanding of technology and ability to use technology to solve meaningful problems. In addition, a full-time science/technology teacher will be needed to meet the needs of the students and support the staff in terms of integrating curriculum and technology (websites, video production using digital cameras), networking the computers and providing technical assistance. The science/technology teacher will assist in coordinating a computer check-in/out system for the library. Additionally, the School will purchase darkroom equipment and build a darkroom space to add to the technology department by teaching students about the photographic process. The School will also purchase other media support equipment such as camcorders, cameras, VCRs and televisions.

3) Increase the amount of physical education time for grades 5-8 in order for students to perform physical education activities at an acceptable skill level with an emphasis on the development of lifetime fitness skills. A full-time physical education/health teacher will be needed to provide more classes, develop the drug awareness/health curriculum, and run extra-curricular sports activities. The School will continue working with the Monroe Center for movement classes and providing special movement programs such as the West African Dance program.

4) Create a community service program for grades 7 and 8 in order for students to understand and appreciate the community as well as develop their ethical, intellectual, social, aesthetic and physical abilities.

5) Expand the music program by adding more time for grades 5-8 to enable students to continue to develop their skills in music and the performing arts. A full-time music teacher will be needed to provide more classes, develop a school orchestra or band, and facilitate after school programs involving music and performing arts. The music teacher will assist in purchasing and setting up a microphone system and recording booth.

6) Develop a formal orientation of new hires with distinct plans and a mentoring program.

7) Provide staff with on-site and off-site visits of different classrooms and teachers to observe different approaches, teaching techniques and classroom environments.

8) A School Counselor/Social Worker will be needed in order to assist in designing the counseling services/program for students, guide students in conflict resolution, counsel students and develop a peer advisory counsel. The School Counselor/Social Worker will help children develop self-esteem, cooperative peer relations and effective decision-making skills.

9) Because of the School’s growth, Elysian will be increasing the size of its facility (see below).

10) The School is exploring the possibility of adding other specialty rooms (as space permits) such as a block building room that would allow children a greater chance to explore design and building with unit blocks, and/or other specialty blocks such as Legos. Another type of specialty room being considered is a woodworking shop for the upper grades.

11) Trips are an important part of our curriculum to provide experienced-based learning. The School will continue to provide trips and explore new avenues to afford funding for more sophisticated and complex fieldtrips.

12) An Assistant Director will be needed to assist the Director in daily school operations, providing collaborative leadership to teachers, assistance with managing the budget, and classroom teaching as needed.

13) A full-time foreign language teacher will be needed to provide more classes to cover the upper grades and to continue to enable students to appreciate the cultural diversity of the school and their community by learning about Latino culture and the Spanish language.

14) Provide a space for the art room as well as a full-time art teacher. The art teacher will be needed to allow for an increased number of art classes in order for the students to continue developing in visual arts and an understanding of the importance of art in society. We will also include a sewing area as part of the art department.

15) Develop a school-wide magazine/newspaper that will publish the children's work in a format that will make it accessible to peers, parents, and the community.

16) In order to meet the needs of at-risk students and to provide support for students with Individual Education Programs, the School will need to hire additional staff with Special Education Certification on a full-time basis.

17) An increased effort will be made to draw on the resources of other educational institutions, especially Bank Street College of Education and Stevens Institute of Technology.

8.2 School Accountability Plan

Based on major academic goals as stated in the original charter:

Students will develop their ethical, intellectual, social, aesthetic, and physical abilities as measured by specific performance demonstrations, evaluated by stated criteria for each. This will be accomplished in part by developing and participating in a peer mediation program, and by participating in a drug and alcohol awareness program to be established at the appropriate grade level.

Students will gain an understanding of technology and the ability to use technology to solve meaningful problems: as a research tool to assist in completion of assignments in a variety of subjects; and as a tool to prepare and/or present a completed research project with audio and/or visual aids. Achievement will be based on an assessment of each student’s ability to interact with a variety of computer-based programs designed for research, problem solving, scientific exploration and publishing. Students will further be expected to demonstrate a working knowledge of available technology through one or more (based on grade level) presentation pieces with audio/video aspects that require the use of the school’s technological resources (e.g. computer graphics video and/or audio editing, photography, etc.) Acceptable presentations will be in the form of visual and/or audio pieces that will be demonstrated to a group for assessment using a standardized rubric format to be developed by the Elysian staff. The assessment group will most likely include Elysian staff members, Board members, family members, and other members of the education community from outside the School.

Students will develop and utilize critical thinking skills by action-based problem solving. The students will be required to become involved in a variety of issues affecting their school and community, and to develop strategies and the skills necessary to deal with the problems they may encounter. Students will be expected to apply skills developed during their education in this problem solving such as the use of technology as an information gathering and disseminating tool, and the use of their developing language skills in expressing and supporting ideas pertinent to a problem.

Students will participate in a rigorous science program that will require in-depth understanding of the scientific method. Students will initiate explorations designed to answer curriculum questions posed in their normal classroom explorations. The introduction of the Kuumba Center in the School, this year, is a major step in this direction. It allows students a chance to initiate and follow through on their own individual explorations. Students will become familiar with and competent in the use of the wide variety of research and experimental tools. These skills will be practiced and developed in conjunction with the classroom teachers in regular science and math curriculum studies based on New Jersey curriculum guidelines. In addition, students will have opportunities during school and after school to make use of the many resources available in the Kuumba Center. Students will use these opportunities to further enhance their classroom studies and delve into their own interests and explorations as they apply state curriculum standards.

Students will set personal learning goals, monitor their own progress, and assess their achievement of these goals. As the School expands so will the scope and depth of the curriculum. Students are expected and encouraged to initiate and develop studies in specialized interests that allow for in depth-guided exploration within the parameters of the state curriculum guidelines. Students will present proposed studies or explorations in concise, well-prepared written documents utilizing their developing language skills. Students will initiate these explorations as individuals and/or in small groups. Students will maintain detailed journals of their explorations, which will be reviewed regularly to provide assessment, guidance and/or assistance. Achievement will be measured based on presentation of a finished piece to either an individual staff member or to a group as appropriate. Assessment will use set criteria developed by Elysian staff and the individual(s) involved. It will include both a review of the projects journal as well as the finished project.

Students will understand and appreciate the School and community as consisting of many races, cultures, and religions. The curriculum will celebrate diversity as a great strength of the community and region. Students will actively engage in activities that reflect the diversity of the area’s cultures. Diversity programs will include the West African Dance program that the School has been participating in, a peer mediation and counseling program, as well as continued visits to regional cultural and historic sites. As a culmination of the diversity curriculum, students will be required by Grade 8 to design and complete a community service project. The project will include 10 or more hours of volunteer work outside the School. Students will write and present a final report based on the outcome of their project. Assessment will use the project report and a journal of related activities. A committee composed of students, family, community members, and Elysian staff will review the completed project and journal.

Students will gain greater mastery of key concepts in an elementary core content curriculum, and be able to apply this learning to the community and region. Understanding of key concepts will be measured in each course by a variety of testing methods. All students will be expected to achieve knowledge and understanding of these concepts as delineated in the New Jersey Core Proficiency Standards. All students will take the State-mandated standardized tests in the fourth and eighth grades. In addition to these tests the School will identify and implement other standardized tests to acquire baseline skill level data for entering students and to measure individual achievement and development on a more regular basis so necessary adjustments to the curriculum and teaching methods may be implemented. The School is considering the use of the Terra Nova Survey Test published by CTB McGraw-Hill. This test program is a kindergarten through eighth grade survey that can be used to assess baseline skills as well as developing skills at the end of each grade level over time.

“Recommendations for next steps in the portfolio development and assessment process[3]

The staff is engaged in identifying and clarifying the next steps and challenges in portfolio assessment. They have begun to identify recommended strategies they should follow:

· As portfolios progress the focus should be to add work samples that are more and more reflective of the whole child.

· Methods of collecting information that is difficult to quantify or may not be evident in standardized testing such as exploratory work and learning through play, should be explored.

· Coaching test taking skills will help students hone their skill in standardized test taking.

· Portfolios should show where students are lacking and allow teachers to go deeper into the reasons for and remediation of problem areas.

· In time the staff should become more time efficient in doing assessments, allowing time for other productive learning activities.

· In the next five years the staff should move from the emphasis of "proving themselves" to more staff development including portfolio type assessment of themselves. They will thus be role models in the process espoused by the school's philosophy.

· Portfolios are developed over several years and will need to be thinned out so they can be practically stored and passed from teacher to teacher.

· Computers might assist in portfolio development. Electronic portfolio assessment programs are evolving. Storage and retrieval of information in portfolios can be troublesome because of the volume and bulkiness of the material assembled. Special software has been developed. Using optical scanners, samples of student work can be stored and accessed. Students may record sound and videotape performances and store clips in their electronic portfolios and then store them on a floppy disk.

[see http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/notes/5/portfolio.html]”

8.3 Facility Plan

Elysian Charter School is located at 301 Garden Street in Hoboken on the 4^th floor of a school building owned by HOPES, Inc. Constructed in 1913, the building was formerly used as a Hoboken District Public School. The 4^th floor contains nearly 17,000 square feet. Classrooms fill about 70% of the usable space with the remainder occupied by hallways, restrooms, and offices. The present configuration provides 12 classrooms, administrative offices and a community room. All classrooms are filled. Two additional classrooms are needed in each of the next three years to accommodate the planned expansion into the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grades. By September 2004, Elysian needs to occupy 6 additional classrooms, a larger community room, an art room, a music room, and additional administrative office space.

Phase I Expansion: 2001-03 (If additional space in the building does not become available.)

Eight of the existing classrooms are nearly 900 square feet each (including coat rooms). These 8 classrooms are made up of 4 rectangles providing two classrooms in each. In order to provide for two additional classes for each of the next two years, each rectangle will be remodeled from two classrooms into three classrooms. The additional four classrooms being created will accommodate the addition of a 6^th and 7^th grades during the next two years.

Christopher Welch, R.A., will provide the architectural services for this work during the early Spring 2001. Construction is anticipated to begin at the end of the current school term, with completion and operation readiness before the school year begins in September. Mr. Welch has ensured the school of the viability of the proposed timeline. Mr. Welch has estimated that the expansion should cost approximately $50,000 - $60,000 per year.

Phase II Expansion: 2003-04

To accommodate adding an 8^th grade and reaching the final projected enrollment, additional space will need to be identified. Discussions with the buildings owner, HOPES, Inc., have given the School reason for optimism that space will become available for lease on another floor of the building. This is clearly the preferred long-term plan to meet the School’s facility needs.

In the event that additional space within the building does not become available, the Board and the Architect have begun exploring two options for constructing new space in or on the building. Both plans would be more costly and complicated than leasing additional space. The two options are:

1) Build up by adding a smaller 5^th floor to the building. The existing masonry walls are adequate to carry the additional structure, i.e. avoiding the need and cost of major structural changes. The work is complicated by: architectural issues, the need to provide handicap and carriage accessibility (adding an additional stop to the elevator or a new elevator unit), and possible setback/zoning issues.

2) There is an unused 4,000 square foot mezzanine above the gym. In order to use this space it would require ventilation, heat, and leveling the floor, which is presently sloped for staged seating. Furthermore, at 4,000 square feet it is smaller that the School would like. The space would be efficiently separated from the gym with a storefront type of material. The space would require a full build-out to bring it up to code for instructional activities. The one advantage of the mezzanine over building up is the cost estimated at $60-$100 per square foot verses $125 - $150 per square foot.

8.4 Fiscal Plan

Over the past four years, the management of finances at Elysian have progressed from volunteer action by the Board Treasurer to hiring and training a full-time professional Business Manager. Through that developmental process there have been significant procedural inadequacies and consistently late audit reports. The Board has endeavored to correct past errors and implement improvements. All monies have been judiciously expended with no suggestion of any inappropriate actions.

The fiscal plan for the next five years includes two goals:

Goal 1) Accounting procedures and audit procedures will be advanced and integrated yielding timely audit reports without significant findings. To accomplish this goal, the Board will identify a consultant Certified Public Accountant with extensive school financing experience to direct a process of fiscal management improvement. The consultant will be charged with exploring the possibility of identifying a new auditor with a track record of timely completion.

Goal 2) The Board will initiate a development plan adequate to meet the long-range capital costs of the Phase II facility expansion described above and the other improvement outlined herein. Phase I facility costs can be met with current revenues and anticipated expanded revenues associated with the planned increase in enrollment. The development plan will include a joint exploration of funding from federal and state sources, as well as charitable contributions from private sources including foundations, corporations and individual donors. The Friends of the Elysian Charter School, a separate nonprofit corporation, has been established for the purpose of receiving private charitable donations. Both the School and The Friends of the Elysian Charter School have secured 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service. Donations from private sources will be tax-deductible, thereby making it easier to raise funds. Additionally, the School will be exploring the possibility of renegotiating its rental arrangement to include leaseholder improvements.

Enrollment

Enrollment at Elysian Charter School will expand to maximum capacity for each of the next three years as current classes move up into the next grade and the School continues to attract new students.

In the 2000-2001 year The School has grown from 150 students to 180 after adding a fifth grade. The School has added one grade level every year since it's inception in 1997-1998. It will add a sixth, seventh and eighth grade until achieving a maximum student enrollment of 270.

Revenue Sources

Most of Elysian's revenue comes from students' local school districts and the State of New Jersey in the form of tax levies, Special Education Aid, Early Childhood Aid, and Demonstrably Effective Program Aid.

Those amounts will increase as enrollment increases. For the new sixth grade added in 2001-2002, the per-student amount will increase by 12% to accommodate the needs of the middle-school students.

Administrative, Instructional and Support Services Expenditures

As the School grows and adds a new grade level every year, there will be a need for larger administrative, instructional and support services expenditures.

For the 2001-2002, the School will be adding two sixth-grade teachers, one full-time art teacher, one full-time music teacher, one full-time nurse, one part-time gym teacher/sports coordinator, one part-time school psychologist, one part-time guidance counselor and one assistant director/teacher.

In addition to these new positions, the School is anticipating normal salary increases for existing staff, stipends for peer advisors, and enhanced benefits for all staff (for example, family coverage for tenured teachers).

Additional increased expenditures will include expanded budgets for art, music and science programs; special education costs for non-classified students; additional computers and software; additional media equipment including digital video, TV/VCR, photographic darkroom and media software and field trip funds for all grades.

It is anticipated that comparable increases will accompany the addition of seventh and eighth grades; i.e. adding two new teachers for each grade and upgrading some part-time staff positions to full-time to accommodate the larger number of students.

In subsequent years, enrollment will be stable, however as the staff matures there will be increases in the budget for payroll and benefits and for additional support staff. Renewing the School’s furniture/fixtures and keeping pace with technological advances will also put a burden on the budget. The dollar increases in those years could be on par with current growth and will require increasingly sophisticated development efforts.

Capital Expenditures

The School’s growth and need to expand within its existing space is the primary focus of capital expenditure budgeting and forecasting.

Elysian undertook its initial facility renovations in summer 2000 at a cost of $130,000. The Board had designated a capital reserve at the end of FY 1999-2000 to cover the expense.

Summer 2001 and 2002 may see additional construction and renovation to add classroom space for two sixth grade classes in 2001 and two seventh grade classes in 2002. The cost for this option is projected to be between $50,000 and $60,000 in each of those years.

Capital expenditure in 2003-2004 may range from a minimum of $250,000 to $400,000 for the conversion of 4,000 square feet of existing non-classroom space in the building to a maximum of $850,000 to $1,200,000 for the creation of an additional 7,000 to 8,000 square feet. This additional space will be necessary to add eighth grade classroom space, a larger community room as well as art, music and specialty classrooms.

If existing classroom space on other floors of the building become available, there will be an increase in rent with minimal renovation and construction expenses. In that case the current rent of $92,000 for 17,000 square feet ($5.41 per square foot) is anticipated to rise to $170,000 for 25,000 square feet ($6.80 per square foot).

Loans

Working capital loans of $250,000 from Prudential have provided the means to cover necessary renovation and start-up expenses for three years. By obtaining loans effective July 1 the School has had working capital needed to set up new classrooms, cover payroll and fund summer construction when cash flow is minimal. In each of those three years, the School has repaid the loans. The anticipated capital expansion at the end of this fiscal year will made another loan advisable. Long-term capital expansions may require the assumption of longer-term debt consistent with New Jersey State restrictions on the use of such debt. Insofar as prior efforts to secure such financing, as part of the previously mentioned effort to acquire a facility resulted in loan commitment of over $4 million, the Board believes the approach to be entirely feasible.

Assets

Growth in the School’s assets will track continuing improvements and investment in the physical plant, furniture and fixtures.

Liabilities

It is anticipated that the School will keep liabilities short-term (one year or less). Working capital loans of up to $400,000 to cover construction will be paid off in one year. Should renovations and/or additions require a larger construction investment, the School will seek extended funding in conjunction with other agencies (e.g. the landlord: HOPE Head Start).

8.5 Projected Enrollment

Table 6: Projected Enrollment
SCHOOL YEAR	ENROLLMENT BY GRADE LEVEL	MAXIMUM ENROLLMENT
2001-02	K – 6 with 30 students per Grade	210
2002-03	K – 7 with 30 students per Grade	240
2003-04	K – 8 with 30 students per Grade	270
2004-05	K – 8 with 30 students per Grade	270
2005-06	K – 8 with 30 students per Grade