Click on the above picture and go to timestamp 12:53 to see video of Lisa’s testimony.
There is no need in the Frankford/Tacony community for another Franklin Towne Charter. Franklin Towne already gades 6-7-8 in its K-8 school. The only reason that company needs a new school is to secure its own bottom line.
I taught at Harding Middle School in Frankford for over 10 years. It seemed that there were 2 exits to for graduating 8thgraders: one for the African-American and Latino students to Frankford High, and another for the white students to Franklin Towne Charter, which should be renamed the Lower Northeast Democratic Ward Leaders Apartheid Real Estate Charter Company. How does a school in ANY neighborhood in this city, in particular that neighborhood, explain an 83% white enrollment rate? That alone is reason to deny.
As I said about Aspira, what we see here is a Real Estate company/bank that happens to run charter schools.
As CEO, Venditti took the building bought by the high school with bonds and leased it to Franklin Towne Holdings. The holding company sub-leases the building back to the school, which pays rent to the holding company. Venditti signed the lease and sublease as both CEO of the school and manager of Franklin Towne Holdings LLC, according to the 2010 city controller’s report.
Venditti is the proposed “incorporator” of the middle school. He is also the CEO of the high school. The high school is proposed to be the management organization for the middle school, as well as its landlord.
The Charter Schools Office’s evaluation of Franklin Towne’s proposed new middle school…would be set up with a similar arrangement. This time, the high school itself would be acting as the landlord by subleasing a portion of the building to the new middle school.
Is it the business of the SRC to fund this pyramid scheme—with taxpayer dollars?
FTC board pays Venditti $226K to manage two schools, which is almost the amount Dr. Hite is paid to mange 200 schools. What we don’t know, because of the legal firewall charters are allowed to set up, is how much Venditti makes off of the real estate dealings.
Of all of the political connections of the FTC board, this is the crucial one:
Ryan Mulvey, a board member for Franklin Towne’s elementary school, is a legislative aide for State Sen. John Sabatina Jr., a Democrat, and would also be on the board of the middle school if it is approved.
Sabatina is the ward leader who supported Commissioner Green’s failed run for Congress. In fact, Mr. Green’s address on his filing form, 7718 Castor Avenue, 2ndfloor, is a commercial property whose sign says “Sabatina Associates”. Ryan Mulvey’s brother, Scott Mulvey, was Mr. Green’s chief of staff when he was a city councilman. Thus, Mr. Green, who should have recused himself when he voted to approve this application in February, must recuse himself now from any vote on FTC.
Also see:
SRC approves Franklin Towne’s third charter school and votes to close Eastern University Academy Charter | The Philadelphia Public School Notebook – April 26, 2018
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Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools 