Charter to move closer to educational complex

The International Leadership Charter School will soon move to two lots it purchased at the intersection of West 231st Street and Irwin Avenue. 

The 350-student school, currently located at 2900 Exterior St., purchased the lots for $2.5 million on Feb. 8. The purchased land includes a white house previously used as a veterinary clinic and a parking lot. 

According to Massey Knakal Realty, the school plans to build a multi-story building on the 16,000-square- feet of buildable space with 80 feet of frontage.

Deidra Miller, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, said the school decided to relocate because it wanted more space. Elaine Ruiz Lopez, the head of the school, and the five board of trustee members declined to comment or didn’t return comment requests. 

District 10 CEC President Marvin Shelton said the International Leadership Charter School intends to finish construction in time for the 2013 to 2014 academic year. The move will mean a new neighbor for the eight schools on the John F. Kennedy campus, In-Tech Academy, MS/HS 368 and the Tech International Charter School, which is slated to open this August.

Mr. Shelton said he was relieved to hear that a new middle or elementary school won’t be bringing more bus traffic to the seven-block radius that will house 11 DOE-run schools this fall.

“If there was a school bus stopping — you know a direct stop with flashing lights — the traffic flow would be severely impacted,” Mr. Shelton said.

“They’re going to knock it down and do construction. That’s going to be disruptive for traffic. I mean that corner is where the [Bx7 and Bx10 buses] all make their turns. That corner is always busy.”

The International Leadership Charter School was the first charter high school in the borough when it opened its doors in 2006. In December 2010, the DOE renewed the school’s contract for five years given three conditions.

At the time, the International Leadership Charter School had received a C on its overall progress report and a D in the student progress section. The high school was allowed to remain open as long as student achievement scores put the school at least in the 75th percentile of city schools within three years. The DOE also tasked the school with attaining charter goals each year and developing a “plan for sound oversight and evaluation of school leadership.” 

The International Leadership Charter School earned an A on its last progress report.