Tag Archives: charter school

Premier Arts and Science Charter School in Harrisburg will close

July 1, 2024 | by Maddie Gittens

Premier Arts and Science Charter School

A Harrisburg charter school will soon close.

Premier Arts and Science Charter School in Allison Hill announced that it will not reopen for the 2024-25 school year, opting to not oppose charter non-renewal proceedings issued by the Harrisburg School District.

In March, the district commenced proceedings to not renew the school’s charter, which was originally granted in 2013. During a renewal evaluation period, district officials found issues such as students underperforming academically, low staff retention and non-compliant programs, among others.

According to a statement by Premier’s president of its board of directors, Pamela Spencer, the board voted at a June 27 meeting to cease opposition to the proceedings and immediately begin its dissolution, or “winding down,” period.

“Due to the timing of the non-renewal proceedings, the board of directors determined that it would be in the best interest of our families to cease our opposition and assist them in finding a new school for the 2024-2025 school year,” Spencer’s statement said.

Under Pennsylvania Charter School Law, Premier must follow a “winding down” process. The school will create a transition team consisting of a representative from the administration, teaching faculty and support staff, a student transition team to assist families in finding new schools and a staff transition team to help staff find employment elsewhere.

Premier’s prior charter term expired in June 2023, but the school was legally allowed to continue operating while the district conducted its review.

This was the second time that the district initiated non-renewal proceedings against Premier, the first being in 2018. However, at that time the district reached an agreement with the school to renew its charter with certain conditions like transitioning from a K-5 school to K-3 school.

While the school begins the closure process, Premier’s office hours will remain the same for now. Additionally, its summer enrichment program and extended school year services (ESY) will continue as scheduled.

School officials will also work with internal and external resources to support students’ social-emotional health and wellness, according to Spencer’s statement.

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Proposed nursing-focused charter school denied by Harrisburg School District

August 4, 2021 | by Maddie Gittens

The Midtown II building, the proposed site of the PA Nurses Middle College Charter School

A proposed charter school that hoped to bring nursing courses to Dauphin County students has struck out for now.

In July, the Harrisburg School District denied an application for the Pennsylvania Nurses Middle College Charter School, which had plans to open in Midtown for the 2022-23 school year.

“I have carefully evaluated the record based upon the standard set forth in the charter school law,” said Janet Samuels, the state-appointed receiver for the district. “It is my conclusion that the application does not meet those standards and should be denied.”

This is the second time the proposed charter submitted an application. The first, in February 2020, also was denied.

The district received the second application in March 2021 and proceeded with two hearings.

According to the charter’s CEO Betsy Snook, the school would serve as a pipeline for students in grades 9 through 12 to continue on potentially to obtain baccalaureate degrees and enter the nursing field. They also hoped to address the racial disparity in the nursing field by attracting and training minority students, she said. The district, she said, doesn’t have a program like this.

“I think it’s unfortunate for the Harrisburg School District students, and it’s unfortunate for our profession,” Snook said of the application denial, when reached by phone on Tuesday.

The school would have been located in GreenWorks Development’s Midtown II building, alongside the PA STEAM Academy.

The proposed school was founded by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, which Snook also oversees, and the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania.

Samuels said that, for numerous reasons, she had concerns with the school’s plans.

Those concerns included a belief that the charter did not provide demonstrated support from community members, teachers, parents or other stakeholders, she said.

Samuels also said that the school might not provide a comprehensive learning environment to students, stating that the district didn’t receive a complete curriculum that meets state standards from the charter. She added that the charter failed to provide a plan for its healthcare classes and components–the main aspect of the school.

Snook said that the charter did have a comprehensive curriculum, that she worked on it herself, but that they didn’t provide the district with all of the components of it.

“This curriculum has infused throughout it all of the nursing practices that are required within the profession,” she said. “But we neglected to get it all in there. That’s OK with us for now. I’m not sure I wanted them to have all of the curriculum that we proposed.”

Snook expressed concern that the district might take some of their ideas from the proposed curriculum.

Samuels’ other reasons for denial included concern over the proposed school’s budget and alleged inadequate support services for English language learners and minority students.

“I find that the proposed charter school would not serve as a model for other public schools,” Samuels said.

But Snook refuted that fact, saying that they had a sound budget and proposed student support systems.

“That budget was a good budget,” she said. “What they were concerned about was that we forgot to add a janitor.”

Snook said that the charter’s board plans to meet and discuss their next move in the coming weeks.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Nurses Middle College Charter School, visit their website.

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June News Digest

May 28, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

Williams Wins Mayoral Primary

Harrisburg soon will have a new mayor, as City Council President Wanda Williams narrowly defeated the two-term incumbent for the Democratic nomination last month.

With all 28 precincts reporting, Williams won by just 56 votes, capturing 1,776 votes compared to Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s 1,720 votes.

Two other challengers also ran strong. Businessman Dave Schankweiler won 1,329 votes, and former City Council member Otto Banks took 1,237. The fifth candidate, Kevyn Knox, won 66.

“To the residents of this city, this is their victory,” Williams said after the final votes came in.

Williams, a longtime council member, pledged to work closely with council, which often has had a contentious relationship with Harrisburg’s mayors, as well as on behalf of city residents.

“It’s just a wonderful feeling knowing that I now have the responsibility to make decisions for the residents,” she said.

After the final results came in, Papenfuse called to congratulate her and promised a “smooth and seamless transition.”

To become mayor, Williams still needs to win the general election race in November. On the Republican side, city resident Timothy Rowbottom won that party’s nomination running unopposed and tallying 367 votes.

Harrisburg is overwhelmingly Democratic in party registration, so Williams will go into the general election in a comparatively strong position.

For City Council, Harrisburg voters nominated Democratic incumbents Ausha Green and Shamaine Daniels, as well as challengers Ralph Rodriguez and Jocelyn Rawls. The four candidates will almost certainly win four-year council seats in the November general election, as no one competed for the Republican nomination.

Harrisburg also had a competitive primary race for school board director.

In that race, Democratic incumbents Danielle Robinson and Brian Carter were the top vote-getters for four, four-year seats, followed by challengers Roslyn Copeland and Jaime Johnsen. On the Republican side, Ezra Match ran unopposed, so will appear on the November ballot. He had cross-filed for both parties, but failed to get the Democratic nod.

Terricia Radcliff captured the Democratic nomination for the only two-year seat on the board, running unopposed. No Republicans ran in that race.

Harrisburg’s city controller position was also on the ballot. In that race, Democratic incumbent Charlie DeBrunner ran unopposed and faces no Republican opposition in the November election.

School Tax Rate Steady

Harrisburg School District Receiver Janet Samuels approved a $159 million proposed budget for the 2021-22 academic school year last month, a spending plan that includes federal COVID relief funding.

The budget would remain balanced for another year due to $52.9 million in federal Elementary Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds headed towards the district. The one-time dollars would fill a $5.6 million deficit that the district would likely have had otherwise.

There will be no property tax increase this year, although officials warned that they may have to raise taxes in future years.

“That’s a big win for taxpayers in such a difficult year that we are coming through,” said George Longridge, the district’s financial officer.

This year’s school district budget compares to a $158.2 million 2020-21 budget, which was balanced using a previous round of ESSER funds.

At the meeting, the district also noted that school board Director Jayne Buchwach has resigned her seat.

Two-Way 2nd Street Work Begins

Construction began last month to return much of N. 2nd Street in Harrisburg to two-way traffic.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse broke ground on the $5.7 million conversion project, which aims to make the street safer and the neighborhood more walkable.

“We are about to embark upon reversing one of the worst engineering decisions in our city’s modern history,” he said.

N. 2nd Street was long a two-way, neighborhood street. However, the state and city converted several streets to one-way traffic, including N. 2nd Street, in the 1950s to accommodate suburban commuters.

Harrisburg now will return the pattern back to two-way traffic from Forster to Division streets, adding pedestrian and bike-friendly elements, Papenfuse said. The switch to two-way will come near the end of the project next year, city Engineer Wayne Martin said.

Construction includes adding over 100 ADA-accessible ramps to intersections along the corridor, in compliance with PennDOT’s construction guidelines, according to Martin. Portions of the brick sidewalk near the intersections will be replaced, as well.

The city will then replace traffic signals with mini-roundabouts in the intersections at Kelker, Verbeke and Reily streets.

New traffic signals will be added to accommodate the two-way flow of traffic, along with new crosswalks and pedestrian refuge areas in the middle of the road. New markings on the road will remind drivers to share the road with bicyclists.

During construction, sections of the corridor may shift to two lanes for brief periods of time, Martin said.

Once this work is done, the section of N. 2nd Street will switch to two-way traffic with a 25-mph speed limit. The entire stretch will be repaved, along with some sections of the intersecting roads. Martin expects all construction to be completed by mid-October 2022.

The N. 2nd Street project falls under the city’s Vision Zero initiative to reduce pedestrian fatalities in Harrisburg, city officials said.

Sidewalk Widening Finished

The circle is now complete, as Harrisburg cut the ribbon on the final stretch of sidewalk expansion around the state Capitol.

Last month, city officials unveiled a new ADA-accessible length of sidewalk on N. 3rd Street surrounding the building.

About a decade ago, the state expanded the narrow strip of concrete that long surrounded much of the Capitol along Walnut and N. 3rd streets, constructing a full-sized walk. However, it left the job unfinished near the front of the building.

The newly reconstructed sidewalk extends the full-sized, 10-foot-wide walk from State Street to North Street, completing the loop around the building. The sidewalk expansion removed parking spaces along the street. However, that parking loss was made up last year, when the city built additional angled parking spaces and electric vehicle charging stations in front of the State Museum.

Across the street, at a bus stop near the intersection at North and 3rd streets, a bump out from the sidewalk also was added. City Engineer Wayne Martin said that this will increase safety for riders by making it easier for them to board the bus. ADA-accessible ramps were added to the sidewalks, as well.

The state Department of General Services helped the city fund the sidewalk project.

Financial Report Mostly Positive

Harrisburg’s fiscal condition is “sound” and its budget is in surplus, according to a largely positive annual report issued by the city’s financial oversight body.

The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority for Harrisburg (ICA) issued its second annual report last month to the governor and legislature, stating that the city is in generally good financial shape.

“The report acknowledges a number of areas where progress has been made, while also identifying several priorities for improvement in fiscal management,” according to an ICA press release.

In 2018, the state created the ICA to oversee the creation of a five-year financial plan for Harrisburg.

The 26-page report submitted on Friday is substantially more positive than last year’s annual report, which robustly criticized the city for several alleged financial and accounting deficiencies.

Some of those criticisms—including a “low collection rate” in accounts receivable in the city’s Neighborhood Services Fund (sanitation), an outmoded IT infrastructure and a long-delayed audit of the city government’s physical assets—remain in the 2021 report.

Downtown Apartments OK’d

Downtown Harrisburg soon will have another new apartment building, as City Council last month approved an office-to-residential conversion.

During a virtual legislative session, council members unanimously passed the land development plan for the century-old, eight-story building at 112 Market St.

Harristown Enterprises will lead the $7 million project, which will include about 35 one- and two-bedroom apartments, with first-floor retail space, according to CEO Brad Jones. The 51,000-square-foot structure has served as an office building since its construction in 1918.

In recent years, Harristown and several other local developers have renovated and converted numerous aging, often rundown office buildings to apartments, adding hundreds of new residential units to the downtown.

Council last month also passed a resolution to enter into an agreement with Impact Harrisburg to conduct a disparity study to determine where diverse business vendors are underrepresented in the city’s public procurement and contracting processes.

Impact Harrisburg plans to hire a company to conduct the study to determine where the city can provide additional resources for minority, women, LGBTQ, disabled and veteran-owned businesses.

Both the city and Impact Harrisburg will contribute up to $125,000 for the study.

City Council also approved a settlement agreement with bond insurer Ambac Assurance to help pay down debt related to general obligation bond defaults incurred during the city’s financial crisis in 2012 and 2013. Through the agreement, the city hopes to accelerate debt payments and reduce its overall debt load.

Charter School Proposed

A new charter school is seeking to come to Harrisburg, with a focus on preparing Dauphin County students for the healthcare field.

The Pennsylvania Nurses Middle College Charter School came before the Harrisburg School District last month for a virtual public hearing on its application to create a charter high school in Midtown.

According to CEO Betsy Snook, the charter school seeks to create a pipeline for students in grades 9 through 12 to enter the nursing field. She said that they also hope to address the racial disparity in the field by attracting and training minority students.

The school was founded by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, which Snook also oversees, and the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania.

Snook said that she hopes the charter school will encourage students to pursue baccalaureate degrees in nursing.

If approved, the charter school would open for the 2022-23 academic year to all Dauphin County students, who would be chosen by a lottery system. Snook said that the school would seek to enroll 120 9th-grade students for the first year and add additional grades each year.

Classes would be STEM-focused with hands-on curriculum, practicums and summer employment opportunities in local healthcare settings, she explained. The school also would offer first-aid, CPR and Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) in partnership with HACC.

The school would be located in GreenWorks Development’s Midtown II building, alongside the PA STEAM Academy.

Home Sales, Prices Gain in April

The Harrisburg-area housing market took flight in April, with both home sales and prices up substantially.

For the month, 686 houses sold in the area, compared to 465 homes for April 2020, as the median sales price increased to $225,000 from $200,000, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 347 homes sold versus 220 a year ago, while the median sales price jumped to $200,000 from $171,000, GHAR stated.

Cumberland County had sales of 274 homes, compared to 216 in the prior year, as the median sales price rose to $267,000 from $234,950.

In Perry County, sales increased to 35 homes versus 22 houses in April 2020, as the median price declined to $156,000 from $174,200, GHAR said.

Houses were also selling much faster than last year, as the average “days on the market” declined to 22 days versus 50 days in April 2020, according to GHAR.

Notably, the number of home sales in April 2020 was held down by the COVID-19 pandemic and the state-mandated shutdown of businesses.

However, sales and price data in April also were strong compared to two years ago. In April 2019, 619 homes sold for a median price of $180,000 throughout GHAR’s three-county coverage area, according to the association.

So Noted

Broad Street Market last month launched an online fundraiser to raise money to fix and upgrade their iconic sign, following storm damage over the winter. To pay for the project, the market hopes to raise $40,000 through a GoFundMe fundraiser and corporate sponsorships.

CoExist Glass Gallery in Steelton plans a mosaic mural this summer. The “Co-Exist in Kindness” mural will cover the gallery’s building on S. Front Street, using local and national talent. To find out more and how to participate, visit www.calyxglass.com/blog.

Dauphin County Library System last month launched a $3.5 million capital campaign to raise funds for the expansion and renovation of the McCormick Riverfront Library in downtown Harrisburg. The project entails connecting the building to the historic Haldeman Haly house next door, as well as improvements to both buildings.

GK Visual last month received two Communicator Awards of Excellence for its documentary web series, “Poured in PA.” The Harrisburg-based boutique video production company received the top awards for “campaign or series—web series” and “campaign or series—food and beverage” in the program honoring creative excellence for communications professionals.

Harrisburg again extended its eviction moratorium by 30 days, the fifth straight extension. The new moratorium extends through mid-June, as does a water shut-off moratorium, both imposed due to the COVID-19 emergency.

Harrisburg’s two public swimming pools should open later this month, the city said. The Jackson Lick and Hall Manor pools are slated to open by the end of June after being closed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeff Haste retired as a Dauphin County commissioner last month, resigning partway through his fifth term in office. The county Court of Common Pleas is charged with appointing a replacement for the remainder of the term, which expires in January 2024.

Rovenia (Roe) Braddy has been named vice president of programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region. According to the Harrisburg-based organization, she brings almost 30 years of experience working with community youth.

Ryan Unger will be the next president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, the organization announced last month. Unger, the CEO of the Harrisburg-based nonprofit Team Pennsylvania Foundation, will assume the post on July 1 following the retirement of long-time Chamber leader, Dave Black.

TheBurg received 22 Keystone press awards last month in the annual, peer-reviewed journalism contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation. TheBurg received awards for reporting, writing, design and illustration, including the prestigious “Sweepstakes” award for the best performance statewide in its category.

The Vegetable Hunter last month announced its second location, at 46 W. High St. in downtown Carlisle. The Harrisburg-based restaurant offers a menu of vegan and kosher dishes, along with selections from its on-site craft brewery.

Changing Hands

Barkley Lane, 2522: W. Workie to F. Ashenafi, $65,000

Berryhill St., 1331: SU Hogar LLC to G. Gutierrez & R. Soto, $31,000

Berryhill St., 2216: A. & L. Smith to B. & P. Mishra, $72,000

Berryhill St., 2320: A. Balkaran to T. Jones, $76,000

Briggs St., 1504: W. Brown to A. Almonte, $50,000

Chestnut St., 1937: F. Gutierrez & D. Sosa to NA Capital Group LLC, $42,000

Chestnut St., 1938: S. Dunbar to J. Cruz, $55,000

Chestnut St., 1951: K. Connor to F. Elizy, $80,900

Crescent St., 306: PD Estate Properties LLC to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $49,000

Cumberland St., 212: S. Reed to N&R Group, $116,800

Cumberland St., 222: D. Landis to S. Rubinstein & H. Choi, $182,500

Derry St., 1212: J. Cervantes to J. Alducin, $35,000

Derry St., 1727: Bank of New York Mellon to D. Boyle, $31,500

Derry St., 2001: K. Causey to M. Martinez, $112,000

Derry St., 2014: R. Do to Two Three Two Investments LLC, $71,675

Emerald St., 245: SPG Capital LLC to JTA Consulting Group LLC, $57,500

Forster St., 1932: J. Rawls to S. Rawls & G. Fallings, $50,000

Green St., 1109: Dilks Properties of Harrisburg LLC & American Heritage Property Management to CWJK Holdings LLC, $233,000

Green St., 1203: PA Deals LLC & Revolutionary Deals LLC to T. Jones, $156,500

Green St., 1314: J. Holman to G. Paterson & M. Goyo, $130,000

Green St., 1517: J. Bowser to J. Kavanagh & A. Jones, $166,000

Green St., 1718: A. Bargh & S. Moore to R. & H. Deighan, $220,000

Green St., 1943: J. Chu to D. & K. Wadlington, $211,800

Green St., 2006: B. Colucci to R. McCauley, $215,000

Green St., 2039: E. & K. Woolever to WCI Partners, $165,000

Green St., 2114: K. Abdelrahman & Susquehanna Realty Management to ECP3LLC, $105,000

Green St., 3218: S. Roblyer to J. & K. Fasut, $165,000

Harris St., 231: 231 Harris Street Land Trust, Dustin L. Palmer Trustee to K. Martin, $180,000

Hoerner St., 111: A. Otwell to Q. & C. Sherard, $44,000

Hoffman St., 3229: D&F Realty Holdings LP to J. & B. Rodriguez, $115,000

Holly St., 2023: I. Ward to K. Ward, $30,000

Kelker St., 319: Standing Tal LLC to C. Hurwitz, $140,000

Kensington St., 1940½: D. Boyle to A. Hernandez, $30,000

Logan St., 2212: S. Palmer to SPG Capital LLC, $48,000

Luce St., 2314½: Care Properties LLC to R. & B. Lomax, $50,000

Luce St., 2332: Care Properties LLC to R. & B. Lomax, $55,000

Market St., 1713: J. & L. Hendricks to M. Karlson, $117,300

Market St., 2000: D. Garcia to A. Robinson, $120,000

Mulberry St., 1164: J. Ripa to M. Mignogno, $145,000

North St., 250: RJ Shultz Enterprises Inc. to G. & K. Beeman, $85,000

North St., 252: RJ Shultz Enterprises Inc. to G. & K. Beeman, $100,000

North St., 1942: Neidlinger Enterprises LLC to R. Nolt, $146,900

N. 2nd St., 806: H. Fang & K. Zhu to Di Wu & M. Hu, $238,000

N. 2nd St., 1331: S. Mimm to J. Wacker & E. Walker, $199,900

N. 2nd St., 1831: Vantage Rentals LP to WCI Partners LP, $160,000

N. 2nd St., 1839: Trip Acres 1839 LLC to WCI Partners LP, $225,000

N. 2nd St., 2001: Capozzi & Ehring Realty LLC to WCI Partners LP, $240,000

N. 2nd St., 2226: J. Hall to B. & A. Capptauber, $265,000

N. 2nd St., 2235: K. Deardorff to Beyond Holdings LLC, $200,000

N. 2nd St., 2237: K. Deardorff to Beyond Holdings LLC, $200,000

N. 2nd St., 2719: J. MacDonald to P. & K. Miovas, $248,000

N. 2nd St., 3220: Noble Colt LLC to A. Bull & D. Parkent, $194,900

N. 3rd St., 2347: K. Mohamed to Next Level Opportunity LLC, $185,000

N. 3rd St., 2415: M. Delgado to S. Hurst, $156,000

N. 4th St., 1432: D. Martin & N. Douglas to Keystone Brothers Investment LLC, $71,500

N. 4th St., 2316A: S. Bornak to N. & L. McCoy, $55,000

N. 4th St., 3013: T. Wylie to D&A Homes LLC, $55,000

N. 5th St., 1928: E. Stoute to Hillside Financial LLC, $70,000

N. 5th St., 2034: J. & D. Riddle to R. Seidel, $135,900

N. 5th St., 2428: P. Burke to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $47,000

N. 13th St., 126: T. Lloyd to S. Samuel & K. Lucas, $90,000

N. 13th St., 504: D. Malesich to Harrisburg Cemetery Association, $115,000

N. 15th St., 1611: S. Dunbar to M. Freeman, $54,000

N. 16th St., 1100: M. Johnston to Nehema LLC, $112,500

N. 16th St., 1208: Omaha Property Manager LLC to HLI Properties PA LLC, $79,900

N. 18th St., 807: A. Graves to F. Florian & J. Ricardo, $62,500

N. 19th St., 718, 722 & 724: A. LaTorre to A. Miller, $100,000

Penn St., 1515: M. & C. Magilton to J. Elliott, $186,000

Reel St., 2416: CR Property Group LLC to J. Johnson, $117,500

Reel St., 2635: J. & H. Moore to G. Chisholm, $45,000

Regina St., 1428: G. Osborne to F. Luciano, $37,000

Reily St., 217: R. & E. Killeen to A. Troutman, $154,000

Reily St., 422 & 424: T. Harden & C. Freeland to 400 Reily Street LLC, $80,000

Revere St., 1716: J. Carter to Biyaki Enterprises LLC, $50,000

Revere St., 1718: J. & L. Carter to Biyaki Enterprises LLC, $32,000

Rolleston St., 1203: J. & W. Colon to N. Caba, $62,000

Rolleston St., 1229, 1405 N. 15th St., 430 S. 17th St., 1002 N. 18th St., 2455 Reel St. & 3015 N. 6th St.: DRW Properties LLC to N. Maurer, $195,000

Seneca St., 263: K. Strohm to L. Cervantes, T. Astuto & E. Marquez, $98,000

Showers St., 591: K. Lavalee to M. Minaya, $135,000

South St., 101: C. Dotto to M. & K. Rittel, $130,000

S. 12th St., 1503: L. Williams to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $65,000

S. 13th St., 330: S. & A. Fisher to R. & M. Antonio, $48,000

S. 13th St., 400: A. & E. Taylor to G. Piatt, $95,000

S. 18th St., 17: R. & D. Stevenson to XVL Properties LLC, $42,100

S. 18th St., 151: CPenn Patriot Properties LLC to J. Medina, $40,000

S. 18th St., 946: Darna Investments LLC & A. Gomaa to 946 South 18th LLC, $150,000

S. 19th St., 1338: N&R Group LLC to B. Skaggs, $168,999

S. 21st St., 2: G. & W. Heise to A. Hart, $270,000

S. 23rd St., 519: R. & L. Rivera to L. & P. Gurung, $157,000

S. Front St., 705½: J. & A. Juratovic to S. Jackson & C. Colon, $147,000

S. Summit St., 37: J. Gulbin to Sunnyvale Properties LLC, $84,000

Spencer St., 1849: B. Davis to D. Boyle, $30,000

State St., 231, Unit 706: LUX 1 LP to S. Chaudhuri, $137,200

State St., 1300: MSP Associates Inc. to Shutter Real Estate LLC, $195,000

State St., 1807: Storm Investment Properties LLC to D. & R. Nelson, $75,000

Swatara St., 2142: Top Notch Homes LLC to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $69,000

Sylvan Terr., 160: D. Miller to Guardian Realty LLC, $145,000

Thompson St., 1613: 4880 East Prospect LLC to J. Linc Holdings LLC, $30,000

Verbeke St., 256: J. Morris to J. Speakman, $206,500

Verbeke St., 313: A. & A. Davenport to D. & J. Fitzsimons, $195,000

Vernon St., 1356: J. & C. Peters to J. Hernandez, C. Rodriguez & M. Mendez, $35,000

Vernon St., 1413: T. Sweet to 1413 Vernon Enterprises LLC, $75,000

Whitehall St., 1819: W. Morse to M. Bettis, $99,000

Woodbine St., 622: CR Property Group to K. Chow, $115,000

Harrisburg property sales for April 2021, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Nursing-focused charter school sets sights on healthcare education for Harrisburg, county students

May 10, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Screenshot from the virtual public hearing on Monday

A new charter school is seeking to come to Harrisburg, with a focus on preparing Dauphin County students for the healthcare field.

The Pennsylvania Nurses Middle College Charter School came before the Harrisburg School District on Monday for a virtual public hearing on its application to create a charter high school in Midtown.

“The vision for our school is to create this unique, inspired and supportive secondary public school experience where students will attain a quality high school-to-professional nursing/healthcare education,” Snook said.

The school was founded by the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, which Snook also oversees, and the Nursing Foundation of Pennsylvania.

The idea came out of a 2010 “Future of Nursing” report conducted by the Institute of Medicine, which found that only about half of registered nurses have a baccalaureate degree, Snook said. The report set a goal of increasing that number to 80%. It also found that about 90% of registered nurses are white females, and it set goals to diversify the profession.

“None of this got better as the result of the current pandemic,” Snook said. “As a matter of fact, in one study, 60% of nurses said they’re planning to leave their profession as a direct result of the impacts caused by COVID-19.”

Snook said that she hopes the charter school will create a solution to these problems by encouraging students to pursue baccalaureate degrees in nursing.

The school would be located in GreenWorks Development’s Midtown II building, alongside the PA STEAM Academy. The PA STEAM school recently received approval to open by the state Charter Appeal Board after a lengthy back-and-forth with the Harrisburg School District, which opposed the charter school.

GreenWorks Development CEO Doug Neidich said that the 130,000-square-foot building would have space for both schools, which would have separate, secure entrances and classroom space.

Snook said that she anticipates leaving her position as the CEO of the nurses association to focus on her role as CEO of the charter school. At the hearing on Monday, she said that she has no teaching certification or experience leading a school.

She said that she hopes the Harrisburg School District will work with the charter in the interest of students. The district’s school board must approve the new charter before the school can open.

“If we are all going to say that we want to do something innovative and new to ensure that our students succeed, then it becomes incumbent upon us to talk about the barriers we’ve had in the past and eliminate those if possible,” Snook said.

Charter school board members include Latino Hispanic American Center Director Gloria Merrick, former state government employee Peter Speaks and retired Harrisburg School District Human Resources Director Lance Freeman, among others.

The school has received support from the Dauphin County commissioners, the Foundation for Enhancing Communities, HACC, Harrisburg University, UPMC and other organizations.

While this was a school district hearing, district officials did not comment during the meeting. They also could not be reached immediately for separate comment.

The public hearing on the charter school did not conclude on Monday. It will continue on a date that has yet to be determined.

For more information on the Pennsylvania Nurses Middle College Charter School, visit their website.

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May News Digest

April 30, 2021 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley Gittens

Affordable Housing Plan Approved

Harrisburg City Council approved several new affordable housing measures last month, in addition to a major apartment and parking project.

At a virtual legislative session, council passed a package of bills aimed at incentivizing affordable housing development and approved a large project that includes residential and commercial space, as well as a new parking garage.

The new affordable housing program establishes incentives for developers, including tax abatement, zoning relief and an easier street vacation application process.

In order to receive the benefits, developers must provide at least 20% of their units as affordable housing for low-income families, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The rent for any of these affordable units must not exceed 30% of a household’s monthly income.

“The goal is to really bridge the gap between our residents and the developers,” council member Danielle Bowers said. “If we set this threshold too high, it’s not realistic for our developers to meet. If we set it too low, it’s not really affordable for our residents.”

Bowers said that Harrisburg’s 20% threshold is higher than many surrounding municipalities.

Developers can also receive parking requirement relief if 25% of the building’s units are rented at an affordable rate.

If developers receive a certificate of qualification and then do not continue to provide affordable housing, they could have their certificate revoked and may be fined up to $1,000, according to the new ordinance.

At the meeting, council also approved the land development plan for an 85-unit apartment building, including a 500-space parking garage, grocery store, office and retail space. The building will be constructed on a one-acre property surrounded by Boyd, N. 5th, Reily and Fulton streets.

Developer Kevin Baird said that his company plans to break ground in July or August and have the parking garage portion of the project almost completed by late summer of 2022, in time for the opening of the new federal courthouse nearby.

Charter School Wins Appeal

The Pennsylvania STEAM Academy has received approval from the state Charter School Appeal Board to open.

The Harrisburg school board denied the school’s initial application in 2019, but the state appeal board reversed that decision.

“It feels wonderful,” said Carolyn Dumaresq, chair of the academy’s board. “We are very excited to open.”

The charter school will be located at 1500 N. 3rd St. in the Midtown II Academic Building, formerly the Evangelical Press Building and later part of the HACC Harrisburg campus. Dumaresq said that the school’s focus is providing education around the topics of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

The school will begin by serving kindergarten through second-grade Harrisburg students, Dumaresq said. Each grade will have two classrooms with 20 students. The following school year, the school will add two third-grade classrooms, expanding to add another grade each year until there are classrooms for up to eighth-grade students.

Dumaresq believes that the charter academy will prepare students for high schools in Harrisburg, such as Harrisburg High School’s SciTech Campus.

“All of the things we need are in place. It’s just getting everything formalized,” she said. “Now the big thing is going out and recruiting students.”

The Pennsylvania STEAM Academy plans to open fully in-person while taking the recommended COVID-19 safety measures.

Since November 2018, school officials have worked to move the school towards operating. However, they faced opposition along the way.

After the Harrisburg school district denied the STEAM Academy’s application, the charter school appealed the decision, collecting 1,844 signatures from supportive community members, well beyond the required 1,000. The school district, though, submitted an appeal to challenge those signatures.

In late March, the state Department of Education’s Charter School Appeal Board rejected the district’s appeal, allowing the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy to open.

Artsfest Moves to City Island

A sense of normalcy returns to the city late this month, as Harrisburg brings back the annual Artsfest celebration as a live event.

The annual artisan market and food truck festival will return for a hybrid in-person and virtual experience on May 29 through 31.

“While the traditional festival will be different this year, we look forward to welcoming back the talented artisans in a safe and modified way,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.

The festival, typically held at Riverfront Park, will move to City Island to facilitate social distancing. As in past years, it will feature vendors and their handcrafted works, along with local food trucks.

Last year, Artsfest went completely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For 2021, the city plans to keep aspects of the virtual event, including an online artisan market and virtual presentations. However, some of the traditional, in-person shopping experience will return.

Attendees can browse items for sale in 16 different categories, including ceramics, digital, drawing, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and wood.

The event has historically hosted over 200 artists, but city officials said that the number of vendors will be reduced somewhat.

The HBG Flea, an organization that hosts pop-up markets in the city, will return as a partner in the event.

“We’re so excited that Artsfest is coming back,” said Mary Imgrund, HBG Flea co-founder.

Jazzfest, which usually goes hand-in-hand with Artsfest, is cancelled this year, and the Filmfest portion will show movies virtually. For families, the city will offer free take-home educational and artistic kits, replacing the usual KidsFest.

According to the city, health precautions will be in place during the festival, including one-direction pedestrian traffic, capacity monitoring, hand-washing stations, vendors spaced 10 feet apart and social distancing markers. Masks also will be required.

The city plans to return Artsfest to Riverfront Park in 2022.

Street Dining Returns

For a second straight year, Harrisburg will close several streets to traffic so that patrons can enjoy dining al fresco on Saturday nights.

“Saturday Nights in the City” re-launches on May 1 and is slated to run each Saturday throughout the summer, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“We are pleased to bring back this summer initiative,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “I encourage residents to come support their favorite restaurants.”

The initiative, shared by the city and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District (HDID), began last year in response to the state-mandated shutdown of indoor dining.

Most restaurants have now reopened, with the commonwealth permitting 75% maximum capacity for indoor dining, as well as bar service. However, the city and the HDID deemed the program to be a success, so decided to bring it back with the return of warmer weather.

The list of participating restaurants includes Stock’s on 2nd, Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar, Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar, Bourbon Street Saloon, Zembie’s, Arooga’s, Taste Key West, Cork & Fork, Federal Taphouse, Rubicon, Mangia Qui, Los Tres Cubanos, JB Lovedraft’s, McGrath’s Pub, The Brick Haus and Café Fresco.

For the weekly event, a number of streets will close. These include:

2nd Street, from Market to Pine streets
State Street, from Church to N. 2nd streets, westbound
North Street, from Susquehanna to 3rd streets
Conoy Street

Street closures will begin at 3:30 p.m. and run until 10 p.m., the city said.

Summer School Program

Harrisburg school officials last month announced summer school opportunities for students to stay sharp and catch up if needed.

The district will provide programs for kindergarten through 11th-grade students. There may be options for both in-person and virtual participation, according to the district.

This comes after many students spent almost the entire school year learning virtually, in addition to much of last year.

Kindergarten through eighth-grade students can enroll in a six-week course that will likely run Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Throughout the half-day, teachers will provide language, writing, math and STEAM classes. The program will run from mid-June through the end of July.

Students in grades nine through 11 have the chance to participate in a three-week program, Monday through Thursday. There will be two sessions each day, one from 8 to 11 a.m. and another from 12 to 3 p.m. This will provide enrichment opportunities, as well as credit recovery for those who failed courses during the school year.

Home Sales, Prices Jump

Spring residential sales started out strong in the Harrisburg area, with both home sales and prices up in March.

Overall, sales totaled 612 houses, compared to 568 units in March 2020, while the median price increased to $205,000 versus $180,000 a year ago, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 286 homes sold compared to 270 in the year-ago period, as the median sales price rose to $175,000 versus $167,000, GHAR said.

Cumberland County had total sales of 282 homes, a substantial rise from 238 a year ago, as the median sales price went up to $230,163 compared to $205,000 in March 2020.

In Perry County, sales rose to 41 homes, an increase of 10 units, as the median sales price appreciated to $193,000 versus $171,500 the prior March, GHAR stated.

Houses were also selling more quickly, as the average days on market fell to 31 days compared to 50 days in March 2020, according to GHAR.

So Noted

Boneshire Brew Works opened a taproom last month in downtown Harrisburg, dubbed Taps@SoMa. Boneshire, based in Swatara Township, offers its beer on tap and to-go from the snug storefront at 13 S. 3rd St., formerly occupied by the rotating guest brewery concept, Sip@SoMa.

DTLR last month returned to its downtown Harrisburg storefront following a complete renovation of its space at 333 Market St. In January, the national fashion and sports apparel retailer temporarily moved down the street so that building owner Harristown Enterprises could enlarge their store from 4,000 to 7,000 square feet and update the décor.

Harrisburg last month extended its eviction moratorium for another month, until mid-May. This may be the last extension of the ban, as Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that he expected the city soon to begin to wind down the “extraordinary measures” implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harrisburg parks will have help transitioning to organic grounds maintenance thanks to a $25,000 donation last month from the GIANT Company, Stonyfield Organic and Non-Toxic Neighborhoods. The city also will receive support and guidance on park maintenance using organic and safe resources.

Matthew M. Haar last month was named managing partner of the Harrisburg office of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, a leading national law firm. In addition to this position, Haar is a member of Leadership Harrisburg and an adjunct professor at Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law.

Midtown Art Supplies has opened in Harrisburg, occupying a section of L&L Beauty Supply at 310 Reily St. Owner Darius Davis offers watercolors, acrylics, oil paints, stencils, pencils, brushes, canvases, drawing pads and resin, among other items.

New Cumberland Farmers Market opens for the season on May 1. The market, at 4th and Bridge streets in the parking lot of Kelly Financial Services, operates every Saturday through Oct. 30, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nancy Ryan, a long-time radio personality and former co-host of the “Nancy and Newman” morning show, has launched a new business, Ryan-Rodgers Media, focused on connecting music fans with brands, businesses and community partners, including event promotion, product endorsements, commercials and social media projects. For more information, visit www.gnazzopromotions.com/nancy-ryan.

Open Stage last month announced a return to in-person performances, one of several local entertainment venues to re-open their doors. “Over the Rainbow: The Songs of Judy Garland” runs May 28 to June 25, the first production in its new summer series.

PA Department of Agriculture will hold an outdoor Spring Food Fest at the PA Farm Show Complex, May 7 to 9, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival includes farm show favorites, such as milkshakes, fried mushrooms and pulled pork, as well as a selection of PA Preferred providers. Food is grab-and-go, and pandemic restrictions will be enforced.

Urban Churn plans to expand to the west shore and reopen its Harrisburg scoop shop by late spring. Owner Adam Brackbill said he will open a retail and production location for his craft creamery in the Silver Creek Plaza outside Mechanicsburg. He also plans to renovate and reopen his Midtown shop on the 1100-block of N. 3rd Street.

Changing Hands

Allison St., 1507: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to 23 Hickory LLC, $129,900

Argyle St., 2: Gary Neff Inc. & City Limits Realty to HBK Properties 1 LLC, $39,000

Barkley Lane, 2524: C. Tucker to D. Martinez, $77,000

Boas St., 1823: Stoute Housing Inc. to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $55,000

Catherine St., 1610: Rich Steele Realty LLC to D. Boyle, $33,000

Crescent St., 450: DRW Properties LLC to Sanhos LLC, $35,000

Derry St., 1148: K. Dieppa to F. Sanchez, $37,500

Derry St., 1511: B. Gonzalez to RBAK Investments LLC, $55,000

Elm St., 1724: Dauphin County Property Investors LLC to S. Pichardo, $40,000

Geary St., 634: Rich Steele Realty LLC to D. Boyle, $33,000

Green St., 1207: J. Garisto to CE Heininger Properties LLC, $108,000

Green St., 1421: J. Davis to G. Lichtenstein, $137,500

Green St., 1909: J. Price to K. Kellum & D. Shearer, $246,000

Green St., 1912: B. Ostella & A. Fortino to Z. Fleming, $220,000

Hamilton St., 203: J. Schiller to SJL Rentals LLC, $150,000

Hamilton St., 324: D. Hinton to J. Henretta, $129,900

Hillside Rd., 217: J. Markel to J. Arp & C. Palmer, $240,000

Hoerner St., 107: A. Otwell to R. Lane, $53,000

Holly St., 1904: KA&B Investments LLC to G. Bierbaum & W. Alford, $76,000

Holly St., 1912: Crist Holdings LLC to Super Fun Real Estate Yes LLC, $60,000

Hummel St., 208: M. Baltozer to Brethren Housing Association Inc., $52,500

Hummel St., 239: K. Dieppa to Archierp LLC, $33,000

Hunter St., 1523: K. Dieppa to J. Vega & C. Salazar, $35,600

Jefferson St., 2714: Johnleo Home Renovations LLC to G. Linebaugh, $124,900

Kensington St., 2329: R. Dressler & E. Knuth to C. Grant & M. Rinaldi, $55,500

Lewis St., 325: D. Castano & N. Rosado to R. Gehrke, $125,000

Lexington St., 2721: Gilligan Realty LLC to HBK Properties 1 LLC, $60,000

Liberty St., 1415 & 1417: Blue Door Management LLC to G. Guzman, $75,000

Logan St., 2157: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to Donald Klick Trust & Natalie Klick Trust, $115,500

Logan St., 2248: M. Loo to A. Sullivan & D. Adams, $75,000

Maclay St., 610: Goldstein Couriers LLC to A. Maust, $55,000

Manada St., 1915: PA Property Brothers LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $50,000

Manada St., 1917: PA Property Brothers LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $55,000

Market St., 1808: NationStar Mortgage LLC to W. Chavez & K. Flores, $75,000

Meadowlark Pl., 194: J. McCliment to S. Kuhn, $120,000

Mercer St., 2454: R. Sweigert to H. Kaur, $64,900

Muench St., 236: J. O’Hara to A. McNulty & M. Kuhns, $226,500

North St., 261: B. Hanson, M. Gregorits & D. Thomas to M. Henao, $124,000

North St., 1614, 2319 N. 4th St. & 2402 N. 5th St.: I. Druker to Clean Up LLC, $200,000

North St., 1711: Mussani & Co. to SPG Capital LLC, $58,000

North St., 1841: G. & K. Mannix to SPG Capital LLC, $40,000

N. 2nd St., 705: A. & L. Kanagy to N&R Group, $200,000

N. 2nd St., 1003: M. Sellers to K. Harlacher, $175,280

N. 2nd St., 2003; 1837 N. 2nd St.; 224 Kelker St.: M. Goldberg to WCI Partners LP, $550,000

N. 2nd St., 2005: Tang Liu Realty LLC to WCI Partners LP, $172,500

N. 2nd St., 3127: Honest Home Solutions LLC to Tillotson Properties LLC, $76,000

N. 3rd St., 1107: M. Horton & R. Spahr to E. Miano & N. Byler, $169,000

N. 3rd St., 1507: Mussani & Matz Co. to Third Street Realty Co., $180,000

N. 3rd St., 1810: Crowder & Co. to A. Manning, $120,000

N. 3rd St., 2252: T. Magilton to W. Smith, $146,000

N. 3rd St., 3121: J. Lilly to S. & J. Chohany, $129,000

N. 4th St., 1909: J. Kesler to Z. Fair, $97,000

N. 4th St., 2133: A. Fleming to NA Capital Group LLC, $37,500

N. 4th St., 2225: 2225 4th LLC to A. Matai, $82,000

N. 4th St., 2249: HSBC Bank USA NA & PHH Mortgage Corp. to M. & F. Cruz, $41,500

N. 4th St., 2337: M. Farrell to P. Carcione & C. Aumiller, $51,000

N. 4th St., 2433: Dauphin County Property Investors LLC & Hunter Property Services LLC to A. Abdulrahman, $40,000

N. 4th St., 2647: Master Ventures LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $58,000

N. 5th St., 2516: E. Morris to L. Hodge, $102,000

N. 5th St., 2615: M. Carlson to A. Chaplin & WeWelcome LLC, $42,500

N. 6th St., 1412: E. & L. Smeal to N. Smeal & R. Strella, $101,750

N. 6th St., 2239: V. Kegerries to Jo Light Construction LLC, $66,000

N. 6th St., 2426: Eden Bridge Foundation to R. Daniels, $84,000

N. 6th St., 2712: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to O. Fu, $150,000

N. 13th, 141: M. Terrell to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $61,250

N. 15th St., 1201: Tassia Corporation to K. Braddock, $36,000

N. 17th St., 88; 1150 Mulberry St.; 2519 N. 6th St.; 612 Oxford St.; 613 Oxford St.; 614 Oxford St.; 616 Oxford St.; 617 Oxford St.; 619 Oxford St.; 2308 Jefferson St.; 448 Hamilton St.; and 2332 N. 6th St.: SMKP Properties LLC to JMR Ventures LLC, $600,000

N. 17th St., 113: D. Newsome to T. & O. Solamola, $65,000

N. 18th St., 73: E. Morris & C. Perez to R. Newberry, $56,000

N. 20th St., 30: D. Selvey to C. & I. Castro, $75,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 313: M. Hadginske, M. Pasick, A. Steel & Pact Enterprises to BXF Real Estate LLC, $108,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 406: J. Davis to S. Lepadatu, $114,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 414: K. Hess to B. King, $115,000

Park St., 1624: KTT Properties LLC to New Dawn Holdings & Investments LLC, $68,000

Peffer St., 270: Wheatland Restore LLC to K. Manna & M. Eaton, $234,900

Penn St., 1617: B. Black to T. Cox, $163,000

Penn St., 1727: J. McCummings to J. Towzey & H. Salera, $160,000

Penn St., 1807: S. Mitchell to Wheatland Restore LLC, $100,000

Penn St., 2127: City Vision Revitalization LLC to K&M Housing LLC, $45,000

Penn St., 2226: C. Stefanski to A. Matailo, $50,900

Penn St., 2229: C. & S. Williams to S. & J. Easterling, $138,900

Pennwood Rd., 3116: M. Brown to A. Hollinger & E. Shellhamer, $115,000

Radnor St., 516: H. & N. Johnson to SPG Capital LLC, $42,000

Reel St., 2447: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to K. McGrath, $122,500

Reel St., 2634: R. & A. Laracuente to S. Bosco, $64,000

Reel St., 2743: R. & A. Laracuente to H. McKay, $55,500

Royal Ter., 149: N. & F. Zook to N. Alegre Maurer, $38,000

Rudy Rd., 1813: A. Acevedo to B. Perez, $30,000

Rudy Rd., 2133: J. & K. Kio to C. Weaver & A. Shughart, $160,100

Rumson Dr., 2948: N. Washington to F. Ramos & L. Suarez, $111,000

Seneca St., 521: T. Robinson to E. Spencer, $86,900

S. 13th St., 355: T. Marsico to Y. Lopez, $50,000

S. 14th St., 47: Capital Region Economic Development Corp. to Hamilton Health Center Community Services Inc., $115,000

S. 16th St., 336: L. Wilson to E. Rodriguez, $115,000

S. 17th St., 445: K. Foster to D. Nguyen, $40,000

S. 17th St., 532: D. Hargrove & D. Surbrena to J. Acosta, $44,500

S. 18th St., 1031: D. & M. Hillard to B. & T. Bender, $92,500

S. 20th St., 226: J. Medina to I. Carvajal, $88,000

S. 20th St., 1200: Peral Limited Partnership to G&H Holdings LLC, $40,000

S. 23rd St., 643: T. Fisher to V. Paulino, $32,500

S. 24th St., 605: R. Patel to Biyaki Enterprises LLC, $58,000

S. 26th St., 611: C. & L. Trinh to C. Baumann, $129,000

S. River St., 304: V. Murzin to N. Leri, $165,000

State St., 231, Unit 502: LUX 1 LP to X. Samuel, $135,000

State St., 1508: Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC to S. Moore, $100,000

State St., 1608: Dauphin County Property Investors LLC & Hunter Property Services to Pichardo Investments LLC, $60,000

State St., 1626: Amarica’s Choice Remodeling of HBG LLC to S. Moore, $120,000

Susquehanna St., 1624: J. Rogers to H. Blumenfeld, $135,000

Susquehanna St., 2010: M. Paese, A. Fetcko, T. Leo & B. Myers to SPG Capital LLC, $55,000

Swatara St., 2139: S. & K. Adley to T. & P. Feliz, $48,000

Verbeke St., 1729: M. Gillespie to R. Oladipo, $86,000

Vernon St., 1350: M. Soler to R. Schwartz, $30,000

Wiconisco St., 531: Kaylynn Investment LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $50,000

Harrisburg property sales for March 2021, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Pennsylvania STEAM Academy plans to open in September after long battle with Harrisburg School District

March 24, 2021 | by Maddie Conley Gittens

Midtown II Building

It appears to be full STEAM ahead for a new charter school, which plans to open this September in Harrisburg.

On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy received approval from the state Charter School Appeal Board to open, even after the school’s initial application was denied by the Harrisburg school board early in 2019.

“It feels wonderful,” said Carolyn Dumaresq, chair of the academy’s board. “We are very excited to open.”

The charter school will be located at 1500 N. 3^rd St. in the Midtown II Academic Building, formerly the Evangelical Press Building and later part of the HACC Harrisburg campus. Dumaresq said that the school’s focus is providing education around the topics of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

The school will begin by serving kindergarten through second-grade Harrisburg students, Dumaresq said. Each grade will have two classrooms with 20 students in each. The following school year, the charter will add two third-grade classrooms, expanding to add another grade each year until there are classrooms for up to eighth grade.

Currently, the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy is only open to Harrisburg city students. If there are too many applicants, students will be selected by a lottery system. If there are not enough, the school will open enrollment for students from surrounding districts.

Dumaresq believes that the charter academy will prepare students for high schools in Harrisburg, such as Harrisburg High School’s SciTech Campus.

Since yesterday, Dumaresq said that over 20 students have already applied.

As far as staff goes, the school has interviewed many teachers, and Dumaresq believes most of them are still interested.

“All of the things we need are in place. It’s just getting everything formalized,” she said. “Now the big thing is going out and recruiting students.”

The Pennsylvania STEAM Academy plans to open fully in-person while taking the recommended COVID-19 safety measures.

Since November 2018, school officials have worked to move the school towards operating. However, they faced opposition along the way.

After the Harrisburg school district denied the STEAM academy’s application, the charter school appealed the decision, collecting 1,844 signatures from supportive community members, well beyond the required 1,000. The school district, though, submitted an appeal to challenge those signatures.

On Tuesday, the state Department of Education’s Charter School Appeal Board rejected the district’s appeal, voting to allow the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy to open.

The Harrisburg school district later issued the following statement from its legal counsel, Allison Petersen of Levin Legal Group, P.C.

“The School District respectfully disagrees with the position taken by the State Charter School Appeal Board reflected in yesterday’s vote and believes CAB has erred in the outcome. The application for the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy Charter School and the associated record under review by the Appeal Board contain numerous deficiencies and grounds for denial of the application, including a failure to provide teaching staff for serving students with disabilities and English Learners. The School District is currently evaluating its next steps as a result of the outcome and cannot comment further at this time.”

The district’s Acting Superintendent Chris Celmer has been vocal in the past about what he sees as inequalities in funding for charter schools versus district schools. Most recently, he spoke out on the federal CARES Act money that was heading to charter schools, saying the distribution wasn’t equitable.

Fair funding for school districts has been an issue in the state for years, Celmer believes.

However, Dumaresq disagreed, saying that she wished the academy could have worked alongside the district.

“It’s sad. We thought we’d be able to work as partners,” she said. “That doesn’t seem to be a possibility now. We still have our hands out and are still willing to work together.”

Doug Neidich, CEO of GreenWorks Development, the owner of the Midtown II building, sees the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy as another way to serve children in the city.

“Yesterday was a great day for a lot of students in Harrisburg,” said Neidich.

Over the past 15 years, his company has undertaken several development projects in the immediate area, recently proposing a 150-unit apartment building for the corner of Reily and N. 4th streets, currently the site of a surface parking lot.

Neidich sees the STEAM academy as contributing to his goal of creating a “live, work, learn and play community.”

“This is really the perfect place to put a school like this,” he said. “Education is the only way that you fundamentally revitalize a city. This is going to be a cornerstone of not only Midtown, but of the entire city.”

For more information or to apply for the Pennsylvania STEAM Academy, visit www.pasteam.org.

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Getting Creative: Capital Area School for the Arts expands, adds new classrooms

September 24, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

The new science lab at Capital Area School for the Arts.

A week before Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA) was set to welcome students back, construction at the campus was just finishing.

In a nick of time, the charter school completed a classroom expansion project at its campus in Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg.

“At this time last year, we had no idea we would be doing this,” Principal Tim Wendling said.

CASA formerly leased classroom space from Temple University, which is also in Strawberry Square. However, last November, Wendling found out that would no longer be an option.

“We love being in Strawberry Square so much, and we wanted to stay here,” he said.

For a school focused on multi-disciplinary arts and academics, the downtown location allows the students to use the city as their classroom, Wendling said.

He added that the school had wanted to find their own space, but that was always a three- to five-year plan. Now, they had to tackle this within a matter of months.

Luckily, there was a third-floor area available where Gamut Theatre previously resided before relocating across 4th Street into their own building a few years ago.

“It was a tough situation, but I think it turned out great, and I’m glad Strawberry Square had the space,” Wendling said.

One of the new classrooms from the “Classroom Expansion” project.

The new part of campus offers 10 classrooms, two offices and a faculty room. There’s even a student lounge area overlooking the Strawberry Square atrium.

While the rooms in their first-floor space are dedicated to art, dance, music and theater classes, the third-floor rooms are primarily for general academic courses. Wendling is especially excited about the new science lab, the school’s first.

“Having our own space gives a whole other dynamic to what we can offer our kids,” Wendling said. “It was really great to have them come back and see it. They were really excited.”

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, CASA operates a hybrid in-person and virtual class schedule. On Mondays and Tuesdays, ninth- and 10th-graders attend in-person classes. On Thursdays and Fridays, 11th- and 12th-grade students go in. On the days they don’t go in, students learn online.

Now in their larger classrooms, provided by the expansion, students can more easily social distance. CASA usually has around 200 students enrolled each year.

The total cost for the expansion is $1.7 million. CASA is still campaigning to raise funds to cover the project.

“It was so worth it,” Wendling said. “I’m glad we found our permanent home.”

For more information on Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School, visit https://www.casa-arts.org/.

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Harrisburg School Board hears charter application for midtown elementary school.

December 13, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Pennsylvania STEAM Academy has proposed opening a k-2 charter school in the HACC Midtown 2 building on N. 3rd Street in 2019, with plans to expand with k-8 offerings.

A new elementary charter school could open its doors in Midtown Harrisburg next year, if it gets the approval it seeks from the Harrisburg school board.

The Pennsylvania STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) Academy tonight presented a charter application to the school board at a public hearing in the district’s Lincoln Administration Building.

Only three board members attended the hearing, which was recessed after 90 minutes and will reconvene in January.

The presentation was led by former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq, a founding board member of the PA STEAM Academy. Dumaresq explained that the school would offer small classes and a rigorous curriculum in STEM fields, as well as a deep emphasis on language arts and literacy.

If Harrisburg grants the five-year charter application, the STEAM Academy would open at the HACC Midtown 2 Academic Building, 1500 N. 3rd St., in fall 2019 for grades K-2. The school would add a grade of instruction every year, allowing the incoming cohort of 2nd-graders to progress through 6th grade by the time the charter expires in 2024.

HACC currently occupies Midtown 2, but the 15-year lease on the building expires in June 2022, and HACC announced in March that it would not renew it. The college plans to start moving some programs out of the building as early as next year.

As a public charter school, enrollment at PA STEAM Academy would be free, paid for by students’ school districts. Harrisburg students would have first priority for the 120 enrollment slots. If the school received applications for more students than it could serve, it would select students through a lottery system.

Enrollment would only be open to students from other districts if the school could not fill its seats from within Harrisburg.

The school would also have a research component, Dumaresq said, serving as a testing ground for innovative curriculum programs that could raise student achievement across all of the Harrisburg school district.

“We would be able to look at our programs, look at student achievement, and say ‘this works’ and take the model [to other schools],” Dumaresq said. “A school district the size of Harrisburg can’t implement things this big all at once.”

Dumaresq said that STEAM Academy would only implement curriculum programs that have already shown promise in other schools. The academy would also leverage partnerships with colleges and universities, nonprofits and local businesses and government agencies, she said.

Students would start their school day at 8:15 a.m. and dismiss at 3:45 p.m., according to a sample daily schedule provided during the presentation. They would receive 120 minutes of language arts instruction, one hour each for math, science and engineering instruction, and 40 minutes for creative arts.

Students would also take classes in computer science and coding, social studies and Spanish language, Dumaresq said.

Eventually, the school hopes to serve grades K-8. Dumaresq said that the board does not intend to offer high school instruction, since they envision the STEAM academy as a feeder into Harrisburg’s Sci-Tech High School.

The STEAM academy submitted its charter school application to the Harrisburg school board on Nov. 13. The board had 45 days to schedule a public hearing and now has 45 more days to hold a second hearing and a vote, according to Pennsylvania’s Act 14.

School board directors will be able to ask questions of the charter school board at the next hearing in January. Tonight’s hearing allowed the STEAM Academy board to present their application and field questions.

During a public comment session before the meeting, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse spoke strongly in favor of the charter application, citing pubic demand for quality schools and the “clear strength” of the application.

Harrisburg school board President Danielle Robinson said that scheduling conflicts prevented more of her colleagues from attending tonight’s hearing. They all have printed copies and PDFs of the charter application, she said, and will also receive transcripts from tonight’s hearing.

Since the board was only receiving information tonight, and not deliberating or voting, the lack of a quorum of members did not constitute a violation of the Sunshine Act, according to the hearing’s presiding officer Allison Peterson of the Levin Law Group.

The school board will vote on the STEAM Academy charter in February, Robinson said. If the board rejects it, Dumaresq said that she would appeal their decision to the Pennsylvania Charter School Appeal Board, which she chaired as state secretary of education.

Dumaresq has behind her a star-studded board of directors, whose members include lobbyists, developers, veteran educators and executives in the finance and nonprofit sectors. The following roster of board members, founding members and charter development consultants was provided at tonight’s presentation:

• Jenny Gallagher-Blom, director of operations at the Salvation Army of Harrisburg
• Kirk Hallet, founder and director of the Joshua School and the Joshua Center
• Susan Kegerise, former superintendent of Susquehanna Township School District
• Doug Neidich, CEO of GreenWorks Development, owner of the HACC Midtown 2 building
• Tina Nixon, an executive at UPMC Pinnacle
• Rocco Pugliese, president of Pugliese Associates
• David Skerpon of the Education Policy and Leadership Center
• Ron Tomalis, a former education advisor to Gov. Tom Corbett
• Michael Wilson
• Kathleen Blouch, a curriculum consultant
• Yvonne Hollins, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg
• Robert O’Donnell, senior fellow at the Commonwealth Foundation
• David Schmidt

The Harrisburg school district currently grants charters to three schools: Sylvan Heights Science Charter School, the Capital Area School for the Arts (CASA) and Premier Arts and Science Charter School.

The board voted in August to revoke the charter of Premier Arts and Science after lawyers found the school had inflated its enrollment and overbilled the district.

The last new charter application before the board was for an arts-focused school that would have opened in the former Bishop McDevitt campus on Market Street. It failed 6-3 in a February 2017 board vote.

Tonight, Harrisburg Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney said she had not yet done an intensive reading of the STEAM Academy application, but said it looked “very promising.”

Up or Down? School Board to vote on new arts charter school at next meeting

February 7, 2017 | by Danielle Roth

The former building for Bishop McDevitt High School has sat vacant since 2012.

The former home of Bishop McDevitt High School may become an arts-centered charter school, pending a vote by the Harrisburg school board.

On Feb. 21, the board is slated to decide whether to grant a charter to the newly formed Arts to the Core Charter School. The school incorporates music, dance, visual arts and theater into teaching core curriculum to kindergarten through eighth-grade students, said Richard Caplan, president of Arts to the Core.

“[The arts are] an attraction for kids going to school,” he said. “The arts cater to a lot of different learning pathways. Some kids learn better by physically doing things.”

If approved, Arts to the Core will open in September for the 2017-18 school year. More than 500 children from the Harrisburg School District have pre-enrolled. The school would accept 300 students from a lottery system to fill the first kindergarten through fourth grade classes, he said.

Students do not need to demonstrate artistic ability to attend the school.

“We essentially write off their talents if we don’t try to encourage them,” said Caplan, whose academic background is in the arts.

A Lancaster-based attorney, Caplan pursued music degrees before receiving his law degree from New York University. He said he “grew up in a family of educators” and has served for 10 years on public school boards in Lancaster County.

Caplan modeled the Arts to the Core school after the North Carolina Arts Council’s A+ charter school program. He said this approach is successful with inner-city children.

“The teachers find it much more exciting to teach because it’s more creative for them,” he said. “The parents love it because the kids want to go to school instead of being coerced to go to school.”

Jim Thompson, vice president of the school board, said he supports the Arts to the Core school and the arts-centered approach.

“I think it’s a good idea. I’ll ask them if they’ll let me come in and draw,” said Thompson, an architect. “To me, having an arts charter school as a feeder program to CASA makes a lot of sense.”

He said the community has reacted positively, most saying that it will be a good use of the iconic, 115,000-square-foot building at 2200 Market St. The building has sat vacant since 2012 and has been subject to vandalism since the private Catholic school relocated to Lower Paxton Township.

“I’m sensitive to community input,” he said, adding that he would not approve the charter just because it would put the property back into use.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse also supports the Arts to the Core school, saying that the school would encourage young families to stay in or move to Harrisburg.

“There’s probably no more important issue in terms of Harrisburg’s recovery,” Papenfuse said.

An increase in population, he said, is vital to re-energizing the city and boosting the tax base.

“We have seen growth among young professionals in various sectors,” he said. “A lot of times, young people will move to the city, enjoy city living and all that it has to offer, but, when it comes time for children to become school age, they have concerns.”

Students would attend the nonprofit school for free. The district would pick up the tab, at an estimated $1 million per 60 students. The school could apply for state and federal funds, as well. As a nonprofit, the school also could accept public donations.

Laws around charter schools restrict the school board from considering cost when voting on the proposal.

“Theoretically, [the district] should save that million dollars by not educating those children,” Caplan said.

Superintendent Dr. Sybil Knight-Burney, citing legal restrictions, declined to comment on the charter school.

Caplan brought the idea to the school board last November after a difficult search for urban school buildings in York, Lancaster and Chester counties led him to the former Bishop McDevitt building.

The building, built in 1930, needs renovations, including a new boiler, a security system and accessibility updates per the Americans with Disabilities Act, he said. This construction will take four to six months and cost more than $2 million, an expense Caplan said he will pay out of pocket.

Arts to the Core will complete the purchase of the school from the Harrisburg Catholic Diocese contingent on the charter’s approval from the school board, he said. If the board approves the charter, Caplan said he will move ahead with renovations and hiring staff. He said 12 people have expressed interest in heading the school.

For more information about the Arts to the Core Charter School, please visit the Facebook page.

Author: Danielle Roth

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