вЂњCo-locating with anyone is challenging and the differences in our student populations have enhanced those challenges,вЂќ Tara Hobson, SF International High School principal, said. New SchoolвЂ™s Head of School Emily Bobel Kilduff described the two institutionsвЂ™ relationship as being generally positive while noting that space is tight. New School shares its 655 De Haro Street campus with San Francisco International High School. This arrangement can draw the ire of traditional public schools, which may have to make space on a site they previously called their own. To avoid having to build new campuses, school districts typically co-locate charter schools with non-charters.

In 2000, the passage of Proposition 39 required California school districts to make facilities available to all public school students, whether theyвЂ™re enrolled in charter or traditional public schools. New SchoolвЂ™s initial 2015 charter application was refused by San Francisco before being unanimously approved by the 10-member State Board.Д¬harter schools have long been controversial. As reported by the San Francisco Examiner, four of the CityвЂ™s 16 charter schools вЂ“ two more will be added next year вЂ“ have had their applications repudiated by San Francisco only to have the State reverse the outcome. In whatвЂ™s become almost routine, charter schools apply to the Board, their application is rejected, the charter appeals, and the State Board of Education overturns San FranciscoвЂ™s decision. San Francisco Board of Education denial of charter school applications isnвЂ™t unusual. The District attempted to separate grades 6-8 from K-5 вЂ“ though there were no clear legal grounds for doing this вЂ“ and ultimately denied all of K-8, despite no legal findings and a recommendation from their staff to approve K-5.вЂќ вЂњWhile our petition has always been for a K-12 school, our first charter only covered grades K-5, so this charter needed to outline the plan for the next set of grades.

вЂњWe submitted our petition for re-authorization in June with two significant changesвЂ¦a preference in our lottery for low-income families and an extension to serve grades K-8,вЂќ New SchoolвЂ™s website states. If the State doesnвЂ™t reverse the BoardвЂ™s decision, 288 students may be forced to pursue their education elsewhere. New School has appealed to the California Department of Education to overturn the denials.

The Board rejected that appeal and refused to reauthorize the schoolвЂ™s existing kindergarten through fifth grade charter. Launched on Potrero Hill in 2015, currently serving kindergarten through fifth graders, New School had applied to expand to the eighth grade. Earlier this fall, the San Francisco Board of Education unanimously denied the New School of San FranciscoвЂ™s charter school re-authorization request.

Net nanny enhanced extension