Teachers unions and their allies are going to great lengths to dismantle charter schools, and Eduardo LaGuerre and Sobeida Cruz are witnessing this firsthand. Having raised their three children in Yonkers, a district with subpar public schools, the couple decided to take action when New York state introduced legislation to establish charter schools twenty years ago. Concerned for parents without resources, LaGuerre and Cruz founded The Charter School of Educational Excellence in 2005, converting a Yonkers supermarket into a school. Today, the school boasts over 1,000 students, and every member of its inaugural graduating class is heading to college.
Despite most CSEE students coming from poor, black, and Hispanic backgrounds, they consistently outperform the state average in every subject and grade level. For example, 69% of sixth graders scored proficient in math, compared to only 38% statewide. In English Language Arts, 91% of CSEE students were proficient, while the state average was only 57%. Additionally, over 92% of CSEE students passed the Algebra I Regents exam, compared to a mere 26% in Yonkers. Remarkably, CSEE accomplishes these results with lower per-student spending than traditional Yonkers public schools, allocating only $16,800 compared to $26,800.
However, when it came time for the school to add a high school, the New York State Board of Regents imposed a requirement for 50% of the student body to come from outside the city of Yonkers. This provision clearly contradicts the state’s charter law, which gives preference to students residing in the school district where the charter school is located. Moreover, siblings of enrolled students should also have priority for admission. The Yonkers Charter School for Academic Excellence has faced unique rules and regulations that other schools in Westchester County have not encountered.
Eduardo LaGuerre laments having to turn away students who live in close proximity to the school, as well as the siblings of current students. These limitations fuel speculation that admitting Yonkers students would expose the city’s high student attrition rate. Additionally, students who transfer from nearby schools often commence their education at CSEE years behind their peers. Nevertheless, the school had no choice and began admitting students from outside Yonkers in 2019. However, the demands imposed on the school did not end there. The most unreasonable demand was transportation. By accepting students from various districts, CSEE became responsible for bussing costs totaling over $1 million in the previous academic year alone. In contrast, other Westchester County schools have their busing expenses covered by the districts according to state education mandates.
The harassment faced by New York’s charter schools is not a new occurrence. Teachers unions and their allies in Albany consistently attempt to reduce the number of charters, deny them suitable facilities, and create numerous obstacles to hinder their success, such as requiring out-of-district students or refusing to cover transportation expenses. Yet, schools like CSEE continue to outperform their counterparts by a significant margin. Unfortunately, parents who desire more educational options for their children are left disillusioned, as politicians prioritize the interests of Big Education over those of state taxpayers.
Recently, nine families from the neighborhood filed a complaint against the Board of Regents and the Department of Education in the state supreme court after being denied admission due to the 50/50 rule. However, the judge ruled in favor of the state, asserting that even if the rule violated the law, it was a result of negotiations between the school and the state. Unfortunately, the approval for a high school was only granted on the condition of accepting the 50-50 rule, leaving the school with no alternative. Consequently, hundreds of Yonkers children will be denied the opportunity to attend a successful institution in their own community, while CSEE must shoulder a million-dollar burden as a result of this injustice.
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