Hearings On 3 Charter School Plans Start Next Week

The will hold the first of three December hearings on charter school applications Wednesday.

James Jones – a Bucks County businessman who ran unsuccessfully for Congress last year – is hoping to open a year-round, grade 8-12 school in September. Jones, the lone founder of the proposed Bensalem Entrepreneurial Charter School, says he wants to prepare students to be entrepreneurs like himself.

“Very few children leaving high school are prepared for a life as an entrepreneur when they enter the real world of business,” said the owner of human resources consulting firm QSI Consulting, of Langhorne

Toward that end, he wants to teach students, among other things, how to manage both people and money and “think and act like CEOs.”

While Jones has, as required, named some potential sites including the closed Armstrong school, he also is offering the option of having his staff work in district schools.

“I think it could work well,” he told Patch. “Bensalem has an excellent school district and we are offering a dynamic entrepreneurial presentation.”

Jones said Superintendent Dave Baugh seems “very open” to that idea. But Baugh said that is not the case, and that he only had a very brief talk with Jones.

“I thought he was kidding. Right now we probably can't entertain that discussion,” he said. “We talked about this for almost ten seconds and really it was pretty humorous. His current proposal does not reflect this concept.”

Jones – who has a bachelor's degree in education, training and development and an MBA – said he would hire a staff of 40 to 50 full-time employees. While educational experience is “extremely important,” he said he would stress “transferable skills” in his hiring.

The school's initial enrollment is targeted at 375.

Charter school applications are judged in part on their sustainable support. Jones has presented the district with 150-200 signatures of community members who support the proposed school. He also claimed to have the support of Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo and some state lawmakers but that could not be confirmed in time for this story.

On Dec. 13, the school board has scheduled a hearing for the proposed Bucks Academy Charter School. That is planned as a K-12 school at 520 State Road. A spokesman for that project could not be reached for comment.

On Dec. 19, a hearing is slated for a school modeled after the successful MaST Charter School in Northeast Philadelphia

The Isaac Newton Academy Charter School would center it's program on math, science and technology. It is planned as a K-12 school, beginning in August as K-4. The founders, several of whom have long-term educational experience, are looking at three potential sites.

Mayor DiGirolamo and Councilman Joe Pilieri have sent letters to the district expressing their support.

An informational session on that planned school has been scheduled for 6:30 pm. Dec. 15 at MaST, 1800 E. Byberry Road.

All of the school board hearings will begin at 7 pm. at the district office at 3000 Donallen Drive.

The school board has 75 days from each hearing to render a decision. Denied applications can be appealed to the state.

A school board hearing for the expansion of the School Lane Charter School was held last month. The K-8 school – which holds the district's only charter -- wants to open a high school off Street Road.