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Charter School Approval
2009
G
il and Sarah
worked over December and January to gather support for Evergreen. The next meeting of the
Board of Regents was scheduled for January 12th and 13th, 2009. At the meeting on January 13th, Evergreen
Charter School was approved by the Board of Regents. Gil, Sarah and Ariel Sotelo, a parent representative and staff
member at Círculo, signed the official charter documents that were sent to us several days later.
C
írculo
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enter
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onstruction
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ay
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are
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lan
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urvival of
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vergreen
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harter
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chool
at
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isk
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inding
a
H
ome
for
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vergreen
O
pening
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vergreen
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unds
to
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upport
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uild
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ut of
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enter
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írculo
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ood
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ervices
Framing for the building neared completion in early January of 2009. Following the installation of the steel, the
building could start to become enclosed. Círculo had hoped to open the building in the fall. Loan payments were due
and everyone had high expectations that Círculo would be able to meet projections established in its business plan.
With restructuring that had occured the year previously with the funders and representatives from the IDA, Círculo
was not required to reach debt coverage ratio levels until the 2010 fiscal year beginning in June 2010. Nevertheless,
each potential project delay put Círculo in a tighter position to meet obligations with the funders. In addition, Círculo
needed to obtain more funding to complete needed aspects of the building in order to start implementing programs.
Círculo continued to work to get funds for the Center. Círculo submitted applications for Community Block
Development Grants (CDBG) and other small grants. Círculo was able to get a legislative grant that helped to
support some of the build out, furniture and space needed for educational activities, through support from Senator
Dean Skelos. This was vital to the project. Círculo also applied and received CDBG Funding from Nassau County to
support important features of the Center. We were able to install fencing around the facility and wall padding in the
multipurpose room. Funding was also received from the Town of Hempstead to support the project. Through these
additional funds Círculo was able to build out important features of the building that were vital to its operation. The
Village of Hempstead also supported Círculo with a small grant for an outdoor park.
Throughout construction Círculo continued to develop its plan to create an educational training program in the area
of food services and hospitality. This was important to the agency’s business plan. A separate entity called Círculo
Food Services was created. Different licenses and permits for operation were obtained. The agency was originally
planning to create a restaurant at the Center with a culinary service training program. However, the viability of this
plan diminished as much of the space had to be reduced from Círculo’s original facility.
Círculo continued to work with Pat McCormack, a longtime friend and consultant to open its Day Care Center.
Classrooms on the first floor of Círculo Center were prepared for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Architects had
worked with Círculo and with Pat to ensure Círculo’s classroom space met all New York State requirements. To
operate as a Day Care Center, Círculo needed to submit an application to the New York State Office of Children and
Family Services. Sarah Brewster and Pat McCormack worked on this application throughout the year putting together
all the documentation including programmatic plans and building plans to meet requirements.
In 2009, representatives from La Raza informed Gil and Sarah that it could no longer provide funding for a charter
school facility. As a result of the fiscal crisis, financial underwriters for La Raza required charter schools to submit
three years of financials as a requisite for funding. Evergreen as a new institution did not even have one day of
financial records. It had just been approved in January of 2009 and needed to be operating in September of 2009.
Even though Círculo had nearly thirty years of financials, it was not able to apply on Evergreen’s behalf due to
restrictions in its loan documents.
The survival of Evergreen Charter School was at risk because without a site we could not start the school in September
2009 as per the school’s Charter. Evergreen needed a home and needed one quickly.
Different options were considered. We could use temporary space but soon the school would grow, requiring
additional classrooms each year. Círculo’s Center provided an alternative but it had been planned for the agency;
Círculo was going to move its Hempstead operations on Franklin Street to the Center and was planning to open a
Day Care facility.
Círculo worked to find a home for Evergreen finding temporary space in the Lutheran Church in Hempstead. The site
had been a former school and Evergreen was able to use classrooms. Only four rooms for instruction were available
for rent. As Evergreen was to open in September of 2009 year with only four classrooms, this space provided a limited
temporary solution.
Círculo worked to find a permanent solution for Evergreen. The most viable option was for Círculo to give up its
business plan including of its day care center and restaurant, and allow the Center to become the home for Evergreen.
Círculo’s office would remain at 91 North Franklin, allowing the school to expand onto the second floors. With this
in mind, the second floor was repurposed to meet the needs of the school.
Evergreen opened in September of 2009 with one hundred students, fifty in kindergarten and fifty in first grade. It
was an exciting moment in Evergreen and Círculo’s history. While Evergreen became a separate institution with a
separate functioning Board of Trustees, Círculo continued to support the school providing seed money for operations
and important infrastructural support.