Charter School for Applied Technologies
Dear Buffalo Parent/Guardian,
As you may know, the Charter School for Applied Technologies is not included in Say Yes Buffalo’s tuition assistance program. The programstates that a student who resides in Buffalo and attends a school in the Buffalo City School Districtis eligible to receive tuition assistance to any college or university the program partners with.
Unfortunately, CSAT is 14 feet away from the Buffalo line. Despite the fact that 83 percent of its population (1,365 students) holds a Buffalo zip code,CSAT’s attempts for inclusion have been unsuccessful.In reality, the Say Yes scholarship is not as generous as media reports make it to be. Nevertheless, we feel that the exclusion of CSAT students is discriminatory.
But we have not given up hope, and we are now asking for YOUR help. As parents/guardians, we are asking that you fight for your child’s right to be a part of the Say Yes Buffalo program; to fight for your child’s future.
The process to help fight for CSAT is simple and fast:
First, sign CSAT’s online petition. Type in the following link into your browser: or visit and find the URL to sign the petition under Announcements. If you don’t have access to a computer, you are welcome to use the Family Support Center’s computer lab; open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., located at 317 Vulcan Street.Second, fill out and sign the enclosed letter and mail (envelope enclosed) and/or fax to Say Yes Buffalo at (716) 740-0840.
Also, CSAT will also be holding a SAY YES BUFFALO INFORMATIONAL SESSION on Thursday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Elementary School Gymnasium (2303 Kenmore Avenue). We encourage parents/guardians to attend in order to learn more about what the program is, what it isn’t and CSAT’s plans for the future.
Separately, as superintendent, I need to impress upon you how important CSAT is to your child’s future as well. We already have many of the amenities that Say Yes offers as “year-round support” including: tutoring, after-school and summer enrichment programs, the CSAT Family Support Center which offers an array of free services, and much more. We also we offer a stable and safe learning environment, along with the drive to graduate ALL of its students, in which CSAT has graduated 98 percent of all its students.
I strongly believe that the exclusion of CSAT from the Say Yes program puts you in the situation of choosing between a school that may or may not give you some financial aid for college, and ours that has a proven record in preparing students for college and beyond. I ask that you first fight against this
decision, then educate yourself on the Say Yes program before making decisions about your child’s future.
If you have any questions or concerns, call 876-7505 ext. 2136. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
J. Efrain Martinez, Superintendent
Charter School for Applied Technologies
Below is some introductory information that will be elaborated on during the Informational Session on Thursday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the E.S. gymnasium.
FINE PRINT OF SAY YES: WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT ISN’T
• All Say Yes applicants MUST apply to all federal state financial aid programs. In turn, if a student gets an aid package upwards of $5,000, that student is ineligible for Say Yes funds and will receive nothing from the program.
• Currently, 83 percent of students at CSAT are eligible for free or reduced lunch, meaning that those families that qualify will most likely receive an aid package from the state, large enough to receive zero funds from Say Yes.
• Buffalo’s graduation rate in 2012 was 53 percent, whereas CSAT’s was 99 percent. Can you send your child to a school district that can barely graduate half its class? Can you risk your child’s education for money that you may or may not get, depending on your financial status?
To learn more and/or get your questions answered, please attend CSAT’s Say Yes Informational Session on Thursday, March 28 at 5:30 p.m.
2303 Kenmore Avenue • Buffalo, N.Y. 14207 • (716) 876-7505 •