Mystic Valley Request for Review, Correspondence from Malden City Councilors, May 2013

MaldenGovernmentCenterTwoHundredPleasantStreet

Malden,Massachusetts02148CityofMalden

COUNCILOFFICE ROOM609

(781)397-7130

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Massachusetts

April l0,2013

MitchellD.Chester,Commissioner

MassachusettsDepartmentofElementaryandSecondaryEducation75PleasantStreet

Malden,MA02148

DearCommissionerChester:

WearewritinginregardstoyourdecisiontodenyMysticValleyRegionalCharterSchool'srequesttoincreasestudentenrollmentandareappealingtoyoubaseduponMVRCS'outstandingrecordofacademicsuccessandhowyourdenialwilladverselyimpacttheentireMaldenPublicSchoolsystem.

Asyouareaware,MVRCSisaLevelIschooldistrictandhasconsistentlyrankedamongtheverybest schoolsinMassachusetts.In2012MVRCSrankedsecondbestinMassachusettsaccordingtoNewsweekMagazineandin2011NewsweekrankedMVRCSfourth.Further,U.S.NewsWorldReportMagazine hasrecognized MVRCSthreetimesasoneofthetophighschoolsinthecountryandrecentlyplaced

themasthegthbestpublichighschoolintheCommonwealth.

Clearly,well-respectedandindependentpublications agreewithusthatMVRCSisamongthebestschoolsinourstateandthenation.WebelievethatthistypeofsuccessshouldsupportanincreaseinMVRCSenrollment.Thereareapproximately2,700studentsontheMVRCS"WaitingList"andourhopeisthatyouwillallowMVRCStoaddamodest35students ayearforthenext12years.Thiswillallowthesestudentstopursuethetop-notcheducationalopportunitiesthatMVRCShastooffer.

Additionally,yourdenialmayleadtothelossofapproximately$1.5millioninCapitalImprovementsforotherMaldenPublicSchools. ThisisbecausetheCitywasplanningtodedicatetheproceedsfromthesaleofsurplusproperty,theEmersonSchool,whichMVRCSwasgoingtopurchaseandrehabilitate.However,now,becauseofyourdenial,MVRCShasnoreasontoproceedwiththispurchaseand,asaresult,theCitymaynowhavetoabandonplansfornewroofs,securityenhancementsandotherschoolmaintenanceprojects.

AswehaveseenwithotherMVRCSprojectsacrossMalden,theprospectofthemredevelopingtheEmersonSchoolisveryadvantageousfortheCity. Weareaskingthatyouallowtheirenrollmentincrease,withhopesthatthesaleoftheEmersonSchoolcanbebackon,allowingtheCitytoutilizethismuchneededrevenuetoimproveandmaintainourschoolbuildings.

Sincerely,

DavidD'Arcangelo Councillor-at-Large

NealAndersonCouncilPresident

CraigSpadaforaCouncillor-at-Large

JohnMathesonCouncillor-WardThree