Propel applies to open in Sto-Rox; district worries about impact
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Michael Panza took over as superintendent of the Sto-Rox School District on Aug. 1; on his second day in office, he received news that he fears will devastate the district.
Propel charter schools had submitted an application five days earlier to open a K-12 charter school in the district in fall 2012. The proposal calls for the school eventually to serve 800 students, with preference being given to students from Sto-Rox. The Sto-Rox district has an enrollment of 1,300 students in McKees Rocks and Stowe.
"It's fair to say that if this goes through and they indeed get the 800 children, it won't be good for the Sto-Rox School District. With only 500 students left, what does that mean for the future of Sto-Rox?" Mr. Panza said.
On the flip side of the issue are applications from 200 children in the district whose families want them to attend a Propel school.
In a July 25 letter to district officials, Propel executives said that Propel already is serving 10 percent of the district's K-eight students and has received an "additional 200 applications from resident children for the 2011-2012 school year."
Most of the Sto-Rox children attending Propel are at Propel Montour, a K-eight school in Kennedy, though some are enrolled at the new Propel Northside, which opens tomorrow.
The proposed K-12 school in the Sto-Rox district would be called Propel West; plans call for it to be located in a leased building at the P&LE Business Park in McKees Rocks.
"Propel West will implement the educational model that has resulted in significant student achievement gains at Propel's other schools," the charter application said.
Part of the funding for the startup of Propel West will come from a $3.4 million federal grant Propel received in October 2010 to create additional schools and replicate the success it has had at its existing schools. Propel was one of 12 charter school management groups awarded the grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
First Published August 21, 2011 12:00 am
