Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a charter school? A charter school is a public school that is freed from some of the bureaucratic regulations of the public school system in exchange for accepting higher degrees of accountability. Catering specifically to its student body, a charter school has greater flexibility in scheduling, curriculum design, teacher development and retention, and administrative procedures. Students are selected from Community School District 15 by a lottery. Brooklyn Prospect has been approved by the State University of New York Charter School Institute.

2. How are charter schools funded? Because they are public schools, charter schools are funded by the New York State Department of Education based on student enrollment. Funding from the state follows children as they choose their middle school. Brooklyn Prospect will receive approximately $12,000 for every student (more for low income students and students with special needs), yet additional funds must be raised because this per student stipend is less than that expended for a student enrolled in non-chartered public school. Additional fundraising will support Brooklyn Prospect’s facility needs and the expanded academic programs that will allow Brooklyn Prospect to best serve Community School District 15.

3. Whom will Brooklyn Prospect serve? Brooklyn Prospect will be located in CSD 15, which includes Park Slope, Gowanus, Sunset Park, Red Hook, Windsor Terrace and parts of Downtown Brooklyn. Beginning in 2009, all rising sixth grade students who reside in District 15 will be eligible to enroll in Brooklyn Prospect; if seats remain after all district applicants are accomodated, student applicants from other districts will be offered seats. We expect to reach a full capacity of approximately 700 students in seven years, serving grades 6-12. Through the state lottery system, Brooklyn Prospect hopes to serve a student population that mirrors the racial and socio-economic demographics of the surrounding community.

4. When will Brooklyn Prospect open? The school will open its doors in September 2009, serving its first sixth grade class of 100 students.

5. Where will Brooklyn Prospect be located? Brooklyn Prospect will be situated in the new Sunset Park High School facility for its 2009/10 and 2010/12 school years. Finding real estate is a challenging issue in New York, and therefore, we are pursuing multiple strategies simultaneously to find space in which we can continue to grow following our second school year. We have been fortunate to work closely with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership in order to explore a variety of options.

6. What distinguishes Brooklyn Prospect Charter School? Supported by a collaborative faculty of high-quality professional educators, students will be immersed in a rigorous academic curriculum based on the International Baccalaureate program specifically designed to prepare students for success in the emerging global community. In addition, Brooklyn Prospect looks forward to an exciting partnership with the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM).