Superintendent: New Charter School Will Cost District $1.1 Million

will segregate the Hoboken public schools and put a financial strain on the Board of Education, said Superintendent Dr. Mark Toback on Tuesday afternoon. 

called DaVinci. The state recently approved the first stage of the application process. 

On Tuesday night, the school board is scheduled to vote on a resolution opposing the school. The resolution is not binding, since the ultimate decision of approving a new charter school is in the hands of the state. 

But, said Toback, another charter school will cost the district at least $1.1 million. Toback said he bases the number on the fact that a charter school student costs the district roughly $11,500 per year. DaVinci is planning on accepting 132 students in its first year in grades K trough second.

"It's a problematic situation," Toback said. "We really don't have a lot of room to fund another charter school."

Besides the economic impact it will have on the Hoboken school district, Toback said, it will also divide the traditional public schools and charter schools across socio-economical and ethnic lines. 

In the traditional Hoboken public schools, roughly 70 percent of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch, Toback said. In the charter schools this percentage is about 15 percent. 

Furthermore, Toback said, state law requires any school district to pay for 25 percent of the school population that is enrolled in charter schools. Since the district is currently already exceeding that number—by about 30 students—the district may not be obligated to pay the money for the new school, Toback said. 

"No one is against charter schools in general," Toback said. But, he added, by supporting a new charter school, "(people also support) taking away from other students."

The matter is scheduled to be discussed during Tuesday night's board meeting.