not sure about putting a school in a warehouse but it is out of the way so traffic will not be a problem. theres a lot of parking spaces back there and not much traffic.

Seems like an easy approval, if politics are not part of the hearing or decision making process. Little traffic in this area. Plenty of parking. Many schools in that area already.

I'd rather see the school in the Eugene Field building. Imagine that - using a school as a school AND getting a revenue stream.

It's like a win-win

The issue before the Board of Adjustments is whether this is an appropriate location for a K-5 school. Hopefully the main concern will be the safety of the children.

The article says the building "is used by a commercial warehouse and a church." There are four commercial tenants listed at the property. It is not clear what is or will be stored or whether the spaces are only used as warehouses. At the first hearing, it was claimed that none of these spaces were used for anything that would be dangerous. As the building in zoned as "Light Industrial" the board did ask whether the landlord would agree to restrictions on future tenants and uses for the building. He said no. This seems to be a major concern.

The school has no separate lunch area and kids will eat at their desk. This may be a violation of state health codes. There is also no space for a gym and physical education is mandated by the state. Neither of these may be within the jurisdiction of the Board of Adjustment, but even if the board grants the variance, it is possible the state will not grant permission to open in the fall.

Even if everything goes as planned, and the charter is granted and the school opens with the planned enrollment of 160 students in 8 classes, there is no provision for the additional class in the following second year when the enrollment grows to 180.

Just came from the municipal building. There's a sign on the door that says the hearing has been moved to 7/12. Isn't that bumping up against the date for approval by the state?

Tom / Jeff: My understanding is the BOA meets once a month. I was there, but showed up closer to 7:30 and they were already working the Geriatric residence facility matter. There is clearly a demand for families interested in Hebrew language and / or immersion in a public school forum, charter or otherwise, indicative of the 160 registered, including 92 from Teaneck, and a waiting list. I personally will not have children there, approved or otherwise, but as someone on the outside looking in, without inside knowledge of anything, seems like a lot of mismanagement and poor planning. These deadlines are not just KNOWN, the SACS board had a full planning year to work these issues out. Hope the TBOE spends the $1 million + wisely, as I don't see how SACS is approved by the state of the variance is not issues this month!!!

Just read this online - part 1 of 2:

Hebrew-language charter school in N.Y.’s Harlem gets go-ahead
June 20, 2012
NEW YORK (JTA) -- A Hebrew-language charter school approved for the Harlem neighborhood of New York is scheduled to open in the fall of 2013.
The Harlem Hebrew Language Academy Charter School was formally approved Tuesday by the New York State Board of Regents. It will be modeled after the Hebrew Language Academy Charter School in Brooklyn.
The Harlem school, which borders on the heavily Jewish Upper West Side of Manhattan, will open with 156 students in grades K-1 and plans to grow over the next five years to 446 students in K-5. Lessons will be taught in Hebrew and English.
“There are a number of charter schools in Harlem, but there are not a lot of dual-language schools in Harlem and the Upper West Side,” Dan Gerstein, a media spokesman for the Hebrew Charter School Center, told JTA. “There’s a demand for other options, so this will give parents in those communities the choice to choose a great school for their child.”
Harlem Hebrew will be the fifth school in the Hebrew Charter School Center network and the third to be granted a charter this spring.
One of the goals of the school is to attract a diverse student body that exposes students of all backgrounds to the Hebrew language.

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[Continued from previous comment]
“We are incredibly proud of the success we have had with HLA in Brooklyn, which is 55 percent white and 45 percent minority, making it one of the most integrated public schools in New York City,” said co-lead applicant Sara Berman in a statement. “We are committed to building on that success at Harlem Hebrew and bringing together students from diverse communities in this school district."

******************************** END OF ARTICLE.

Mr. Abbott, based on the article published this week by the JTA, 45% of the Brooklyn Hebrew charter school is minority. Now that a 5th one in NYC is opening, in Harlem [and others throughout the country], there seems to be a demand for these programs. Obviously, without following local, country and state regulations, New Jersey taxpayers may need / demand these programs, but they are not going to happen. Compliance is 101 necessity for this to go anywhere.

We definitely have enough houses of worship and to many schools. This area is overloaded. Why should seniors be taxed more than we already are for schools we do not have children? To many seniors have to move because of the cost of living whenwe have worked so hard to make a decent way of life. It is a shame being forced to relocate.Expenses are killing seniors in Teaneck.

Every increasing taxes is the biggest problem we have here in Teaneck.... hopefully Teaneck will not give any increases to any union this year....... but looking at history here... it is just tax and spend.......... get ready to shell out more $s.....

everything that i have read about this school seem to be a bad idea. the variance, are not clear and board seems to be skipping on the board of non approval the state surely should not aprove the site. I have lived in teaneck for over thirty (30) years, and i have never seen a school in the building with three other business. the level of safety and child predator are off the chart. am I the only one to see this. with so many business in the building and operating at the same time as the school, without supervision of who is coming and going in and out of the building. why would those of you who are pushing for this location so hard even consider this building and put your childing at risk? this is clearly not a good idea, and not to mention the amount of money that is taken out of the budget of the teaneck school system $1.400.000.00 this is insane.... wake up people, the administration in englewood did not approve the school because they knew it wasn't safe among other reasons. if those of you that are concern about the Hebrew Language, why cant you send your student to the public school and push for the Language to be taught there and keep the tax payer money there. are our public school rated that bad now. all of my children are THS gruaduates and have gone to some of the best colleges in the country and have competed very well. I cannot in good faith endorse
this school at all..

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