Charter School 'Exploring' UWS, Harlem District For New School

UPPER WEST SIDE-HARLEM, NY — A charter school network announced plans to open its first "intentionally integrated" school in a district that spans the Upper West Side and parts of Harlem, prompting the local community education council to schedule an emergency meeting.

KIPP NYC — which currently operates 13 schools in the city and is in the middle of an expansion in the Bronx — is "exploring" its options to open a new middle school in New York's third school district, according to a letter from the charter network's superintendent. District 3 spans 59th Street to 122nd Street on the west side of Manhattan.

Currently, 99 percent of KIPP NYC's students are African-American, Latino or Multi-Racial, according to the network's website. The goal of the new district 3 school would be to achieve a more integrated student body.

"We believe KIPP can continue to be a national leader in the movement to educate black and Latino students AND we can be leaders in showing how socioeconomically and racially diverse schools can improve outcomes for all students," Manly writes in his letter.

The community education council for school district 3 scheduled an emergency meeting for Dec. 17 to address KIPP's plans, Chalkbeat first reported. The council approved a plan this year that is designed to better integrate district middle schools.

"We will be absolutely 100 percent against it," Kim Watkins, the council's president, told Chalkbeat. "We will use any means at our disposal to oppose it."

The meeting will be held at 154 W. 93rd St. at 9 a.m., accoridng to reports.

Photo by Shutterstock