Concerned Buffalo leaders, parents, and educators on Monday contacted New York State Board of Regents members through all means of communication.

What You Need To Know

  • Regents board voted against five-year charter renewal of Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School

  • Decision created outrage among parents and educators

  • Leaders are urging the board to rethink the vote

The board voting against the five-year charter renewal of Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School has created outrage. The academy is a high-performance school.

"They are one of the best schools in the state of New York," said community advocate Duncan Kirkwood.

Board member Susan Mittler told Spectrum News that funding charter schools is not at the top of the priority list.

"In another year without a pandemic or whatever you can convince me, but right now I really believe the Buffalo Public Schools need our support as a primary issue and that the charter schools need to take a second seat," said Mittler.

The president of Buffalo's District Parent Coordinating Council says the vote will not help secure more funding for public schools.

"A lot of these families, if they did not choose a traditional school to begin with they are not going to now, so that money is not likely going back in [public schools] anyway," said Dr. Wendy Mistretta.

Buffalo Academy of Science Executive Director Joseph Polat is encouraging the board to rethink its decision. He says the Buffalo School District stands to lose up to $700,000 in additional state aid if their charter school closes.

"Districts receive $1,000 per student per state for each student that attends charter school," said Joseph Polat.

Kirkwood says the more than 700 students that attended Buffalo Science won't have the option to switch to other high-performing schools like Hutch Tech and City Honors because testing and enrollment deadlines have passed.

In the meantime, Polat says the Regents Board is sending mixed messages, especially after approving a second location for the charter school in December. 

"This is not just about Buffalo," said Polat. "It's about the credibility of Buffalo Regents in their decision making rationale."

Polat says that grand opening of the second location for Buffalo Science is still set to occur in September.