Darby council OKs charter school in former factory
DARBY BOROUGH » Council approved a non-residential occupancy permit to allow Vision Academy Charter School to open in a 128,000-square foot abandoned factory in the borough.
The 6-3 vote by council on Dec. 20 gives the OK for Vision to move from its current location at the former St. Philomena Catholic School in Lansdowne to the much bigger property located at 901 Quarry St. A vote to approve the permit was on council’s agenda at last month’s meeting but was tabled after council members asked for more time to review the issue.
Vision CEO and Principal Isaac Durmus said Friday he was happy that the permit was approved for his school.
“This is the first step in our process to relocate to this facility and we look forward to working with local officials and the community to prepare this location for our use,” he said in an email.
At present, Vision enrolls 280 students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade. Durmus said a waiting list has been established to accommodate students who would not fit into the Lansdowne space.
“As a result, the school reexamined its options and sought funding for acquisition of a property for the school,” Durmus said, hoping to increase enrollment to 440 when the school relocates to Darby.
Accord to a project narrative prepared by Linn Architects in Media, the first two floors of the four-story building will be used and outfitted with 33 classrooms, a multi-purpose room, special education classrooms, computer labs and other amenities. The third and fourth floors will initially be vacant to accommodate future growth. The basement will be repurposed for 29 parking spaces. A drop-off lane will be created to accommodate six buses and over 100 parking spots will be created on the three-acre site.
All told, a budget of $16 million is what the school is looking to spend on the land, renovation and equipping the facility. Durmus hopes to secure private tax-exempt bonds for financing.
Vision ultimately hopes to serve 700 children in the new space with 56 staff members. A tentative opening date in Darby is set for Sept. 2018.
“The growth of our school will provide educational opportunities to students and families that are asking for them,” said Durmus.
There was some pushback by members of the community against the charter school’s perspective move when council first tried to approve the permit. They cited charters as being a drain on William Penn School District money and resources.
“We welcome the opportunity to sit down with the community or the district to discuss any concerns people have regarding the school and how we can improve our relationship,” Durmus said about the public’s concern. “As a public school of choice, we have a transparent operation and our finances are audited and available for review like any public school.”
Vision Academy Charter School has been operating since September 2015.