Melissa Bailey File Photo
Pastor Eldren Morrison hosts a mayoral debate in June.
The Dixwell pastor who seeks to open a new charter school in his neighborhood has withdrawn his proposal, with plans to resubmit it in the fall.
Rev. Eldren Morrison (pictured), pastor of Varick Memorial AME Zion Church on Dixwell Avenue, had submitted an application to the state this spring to open a new pre‑K to 4 charter school, the Booker T. Washington Academy in the fall of 2014.
His was one of seven applications—including three from New Haven—submitted to the state by an April 1 deadline from groups aiming to open new charter schools in 2013 or 2014. So far, the state has approved two new charter schools, Brass City Charter School in Waterbury (set to open in the fall of 2013) and Path Academy in Windham (opening in 2014). The state budget the governor signed in June includes funding for four new charter schools, one to open this fall and three the fall of 2014.
That leaves money for two more charters to open in the fall of 2014.
State education Commissioner Stefan Pryor said Monday that the state does not plan to approve any more new charters from that initial batch of seven applications. Instead, he plans to issue another request for proposals in the fall for new ideas or revised applications. A charter school is a public school that operates outside a traditional school system under its own state-authorized charter. In return for extra state scrutiny, charters get extra autonomy and state funding, which is set to rise to $10,500 per pupil this fall.
Morrison has emerged as an apparent frontrunner in the competition. He has become a cause célèbre for the charter movement as he moves forward with a grassroots proposal aimed at serving kids in Dixwell and Newhallville. He often frames his school proposal as a “matter of life and death” for kids exposed to gang violence in those neighborhoods. Charter proponents such as ConnCAN have lent him support, and in turn Morrison has joined a group of ministers who have lent political heft to the charter movement, fending off cuts to charter school funding at the Capitol.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has made two personal visits to Varick this year to support the charter effort.
Morrison said he isn’t backing off his plans: He still aims to open Booker T. Washington in the fall of 2014. But citing tough competition and a need to revise the application, Morrison has withdrawn his proposal for the time being.
“They had so many applicants” for this round of funding, Morrison said. “Some of [their proposals] may have been stronger than ours.”
“In order to be in a better position to apply in the fall … I thought it was better for us to pull it and reapply,” he said. “Some people on our board kind of just knew that there were some areas that we could better present on. I went with their recommendation.”
He said his board decided to find a school leader, and boost its proposed “wraparound services” tending to kids’ social-emotional needs, before resubmitting the application in the fall.
Gov. Malloy is “still very supportive” of the proposal, Morrison said. In addition to Malloy’s two prior visits to the church this year, the governor plans to return soon to “continue the relationship that we have,” according to Morrison.
The state on Monday approved another charter application from New Haven for the Elm City Montessori School. That will be the state’s first-ever “local charter,” a new kind of charter school that will receive funding and oversight from the New Haven school system and have unionized teachers, yet operate under its own charter with its own curriculum. Click here to read more about that.
The new investment in charters comes under a new education commissioner, Stefan Pryor, with a record of charter support: In 1999 he helped found Amistad Academy, which later grew into the state’s largest charter network, Achievement First. Charter growth in Connecticut has lagged behind national averages: The state’s 17 charter schools serve less than 2 percent of Connecticut kids, compared to 3.6 percent of kids served by charter schools nationwide. Prior to June, the state board had not approved new charters since 2008.