New Building
In this Q&A
Recent Additions
General
The building
Purchasing/financing
Transportation
Student involvement
Neighborhood
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New Building Q&A
Recent Additions
Q. Will the fence around the playground be fixed or replaced?
A. We hope so. As part of our overall playground design, we would like to replace the entire fence. Because the purchase and renovation of the building used our available capital through our bond, our ability to replace the fence and have a fully functioning and equipped playground relies on our ability to fundraise for these items. The playground, including playground equipment, is one of our top fundraising priorities for next year. It’s possible that additional playground enhancements, such as a new fence and lanscaping, will be a longer-term initiative. To make a gift to support the building of our playground, you can give online or call Matt Drexler at 215.238.8000 X2500.
Q. Are there any future plans for ICS to expand through 12th grade?
A. There are currently no plans to expand ICS beyond 8th grade. Our charter allows for a K-8 grade school with a maximum of 732 students, which we will have in the 2008-2009 school year. If the Board of Trustees does consider expansion in the future, ICS would first need to apply for a change to our charter with the School District of Philadelphia, which could grant or deny our application.
Q. What’s the status of the playground planning?
A. A group of ICS parents have formed a playground subcommittee, which is part of our overall Development Committee. This group has commissioned a preliminary playground design and has submitted a grant application to KABOOM, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing play spaces to every child in America. To achieve their mission, they bring together corporate partners and communities, such as our school, to build a playground together. The corporate partner and KABOOM kick-start our playground project with a substantial grant, guidance on our playground design and building, and direction on our fundraising efforts. Our job would be to raise additional funds and to bring volunteers to a “barn-raising” type day. We’ll build the playground ourselves!
Our grant application was very well-received by KABOOM and we are currently discussing it with their representatives. If we receive this grant, it will be awarded in the fall because of KABOOM’s requirement that the space not be under construction when we have the build day and be available for use immediately afterward! We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.
Q. Will we have a gym or library?
A. Having a gym and full library would require another addition. This has been discussed as a possible future project, but will not be something we can immediately accomplish. In the meantime, we are exploring making use of current space as a limited library space.
Q. When is the project scheduled to finish?
A. Our project is on schedule, and we are planning to open our school to returning students on Monday, September 15, 2008. Kindergarten students will return on Wednesday, September 17, 2008. Of course, a project as big and complex as ours can offer some surprises. Should any problems arise that require a delay in the school opening, we will immediately contact all families. Stay informed of the latest developments by joining our ICS info listserv group. Send and email to .
Q. Are we exploring partnerships with local businesses?
A. Yes! We hope to become an active part of our new neighborhood and involve these businesses in our school. The Community Relations committee has identified local businesses and will begin their outreach efforts in June.
General
Q. Where is the new school located?
A. The building is on the corner of 16th and Lombard. It is a former public school building, The Thomas Durham Public School, that was open from 1909-2003. It became a childcare center before the building was completely closed.
Q. Can I tour the school?
A. The school is considered a construction zone right now, so only the construction crew, architects, and our project managers are on-site. Teachers, families, and neighbors were invited to hard hat tours in April to see the current status of the project (see photos). We will conduct tours over the summer so that students and families can get a first glimpse of our new home!
The Building
Q. What rooms does the new school have? Does it have a library, lunchroom, gym, computer room, kitchen, stage?
A. Here’s a quick rundown of what we’ll have in the new building and what we currently have, as a point of comparison.
| Space | Current Facility | New Building |
|---|---|---|
| Homeroom Classrooms | 32 | 36* |
| Administrative Offices | 12 | 16 |
| Counselor’s Office | 1 | 2 |
| Nurse’s Office | 1 | 1 |
| Special Education Room | 0 | 1 |
| Gifted Education Room | 0 | 0** |
| Art room | 1 | 2 |
| Music Room | 1 | 2 |
| Dance and Movement Room | 1 | 1 (part of multipurpose room) |
| Science Room | 1 | 1 |
| Computer Room | 1 | 1 |
| Gym | 0 | 0 |
| Library | 0 | 1 (resource room) |
| Kitchen (heating only) | 1 | 1 |
| Cafeteria/Multipurpose Room | 1 | 1 |
| Auditorium | 0 | 0 |
| Bathrooms | 2 | 8 (2 per floor) |
*2 of these classrooms will also be used as a science room and as a social science computer lab
** Gifted classes will use other classrooms during their unscheduled periods
In addition, in our new building:
- All classrooms and offices have exterior windows
- Many classrooms have sliding partitions, which allows us to create large communal spaces to support the “village” concept of teaching between the two language programs
- The entire building will have wireless Internet access
- The entire building and outdoor space will be handicapped-accessible
We are exploring neighborhood options to serve as an auditorium and for hosting other events.
Q. What will be on each floor?
A. Here’s a general sense of what classrooms, offices, and specials are on each floor.
First floor:
K–2nd grade classrooms
Bathrooms
Principal’s office
Dean’s office
Counselor’s office
Administrative space
Nurse’s office
Second floor:
3rd-5th grade classrooms
Bathrooms
Operations Director’s office
Administrative space
Special education classroom
Occupational and speech therapy room
Reading classroom
Third floor:
6th-8th grade classrooms*
Bathrooms
Upper Dean’s office
Counselor’s office
Resource/meeting room
Administrative space
Spanish enhanced classroom
Reading classroom
*Two of these rooms serve as a science room and a social science computer lab
Ground floor:
Cafeteria/multipurpose room
Kitchen
K-4 computer lab
2 music rooms
2 art rooms
Dance room
Reading room
Faculty room
Bathrooms
Visitors will enter the building on Lombard Street.
Q. This space doesn’t seem to give us everything we said we wanted.
A. You’re right. It doesn’t ... today. Buying this new building gives us the benefits of ownership. We are building equity in this building versus paying roughly the same amount of money in rent each month. We may also be able to add space as we need it and as it’s financially possible.
Q. Can we put a playground on the roof?
A. No. Our heating and cooling system will be on our roof. We are investigating ways to use the outdoor space and to fundraise for playground equipment.
Q. Is there a new name for the new school? Can we stop calling it Durham?
A. Yes, Independence Charter School! We will, however, keep the historic marker on the building that reads “Thomas Durham Public School.”
Q. How will the outdoor space be used? Parking? Playground?
A. The outdoor space will be mainly used for recess. Some of the original outdoor space was earmarked for our addition. We also have 15 dedicated parking spaces in the back of the building. To leave more play space, we’ll use only one of these spaces during school hours, but we are required by law to have them.
Q. What kind of equipment will we have in the playground space?
A. A committee is currently developing a proposal for how to use the playground space, including the cost and options for building and funding it. When we move into the building, we know we will have outdoor equipment, such as balls, chalk, and a basketball hoop. We will also have a climbable wooden train, built by CHAD students and given to us as a gift.
Q. My child is in 7th grade. What will he do in this playground space?
A. Many of our middle school students still love to jump rope and will enjoy the basketball hoop. We’ll also have places for them to gather and socialize.
Q. Will we have more after-school activities in the new building?
A. This year, we will offer chess, SCRABBLE, Odyssey of the Mind, tutoring, Microsociety, and Italian language club in our current building. It’s likely that we’ll offer the same type of after-school opportunities in the new building. Eventually, the new location will allow for more creative use of space, and we will be able to use the outdoor space for some activities.
Q. What after-school programs will be available next year?
A. As communicated earlier, ICS has been evaluating whether to continue the WINGS program next year while also reviewing available, external after-school program options.
To help families transition, ICS will be offering WINGS again for one year only, provided we get proper licensing. Many licensing agencies require a certificate of occupancy before providing a license. In this case, occupancy does not mean that we are physically in the space, but that the space is ready to be occupied. We are examining whether we will need this certificate to get licensed. If we do, we estimate that we would be reviewed for licensing sometime after September 1, our planned date for completing construction and renovation. Families who are interested in WINGS should be aware that we cannot say at this time whether we will be granted a license or when we will be able to begin providing after-school care through WINGS.
With the help of many parents, we have created a list of other after-school programs for families to consider. These programs have not been evaluated or screened by ICS, nor are they being endorsed. We strongly encourage you to screen each of these programs against your family’s needs. If you did not pick up this list at your report card conference, please or call her at 215.238.8000 X5033.
Q. Can we play in the schoolyard after school?
A. No. Due to insurance requirements, we will not open the playground to the community in the evening or on weekends, except for scheduled events. The local community has expressed support for our decision.
Q. There’s an assisted-living center and The Philadelphia Tribune right near our new building. Will there be service opportunities for our students?
A. We are exploring just that! We have established a great working relationship with The Philadelphia Tribune and we’ll continue talking with them about the possibilities. We are also thinking of other ways to build community with the whole neighborhood. For example, we think it would be a great idea to host a neighborhood clothesline art show in the yard on the weekend. Stay tuned …
Q. Will our school be accepting more students because our new building is bigger?
A. Yes, over the course of the next two years we expect to slightly increase our total number of students from 685 to 732 students. These new students will be accepted across all of our grades as part of our normal admissions process.
Our Charter, which is the legal document that permits us to operate a public school, governs how many students we can admit. This charter allows for a maximum of 732 students, whether at our present or new building. Our new building can accommodate this number of students and allows us to implement our original plan of four (4) classes per grade in grades K through 8. Currently, we have four classes per grade in K-6 and two classes per grade in grades 7 and 8.
There are no plans to expand the number of classes or class sizes beyond the total of 732 students at this time.
Q. What’s the next step for the playground planning? Will ideas be shared with the ICS community for feedback?
A. A group of ICS parents, operating under the supervision of the Development Committee, have formed a playground committee. This group is in its early stages of site planning and intends to involve the ICS community when they are further along in the design process.
The committee is currently looking for additional volunteers, particularly volunteers with experience in landscape architecture/planning and civil engineering, and those who have relationships with organizations potentially interested in sponsoring our outdoor space. for more details.
Q. I heard there is a healthy foods group working on our food service for the new building. Who are they and what are they doing?
A. ICS does have a Food Services Committee. They operate under the supervision of the Principal and Director of Operations and are working to improve the quality of food ICS students receive. Their goal is to provide a recommendation for a Food Service Management Company (FSMC) to manage the meal program at ICS. They will also provide recommendations and guidance on what is served for breakfast and lunch, whether we can create farm to school program options, how to build a healthy food curriculum into the classroom, and what grants are available. These recommendations will determine the food options that will be available to the ICS community in the future.
The committee is currently reviewing proposals from several food FSMCs and will recommend the one that can best serve our needs. After the Board of Trustees contracts with FSMC, more information will be shared about the food program itself. For more information or to get involved, email: .
Purchasing and Financing
Q. Why did the BOT decide not to buy the building, and then change their mind and buy it anyway?
A. Three main reasons led to the majority of BOT members voting to purchase the new building after an earlier vote to not do so:
- Our contractor, Sullivan Construction, worked with our lawyers, architects and real estate agent to find ways to cost-engineer the renovations, making it much less expensive to renovate, while also allowing us to afford an expansion
- We did not have a lease for the 2008—2009 school year in our current building.
- Our negotiations with CHAD to co-purchase our present building with Liberty Square and lease back the space we would occupy were not making progress, and we were not confident that we’d reach an agreement that would work for both parties.
- BOT members also took into consideration the desire to have a facility, including outdoor space, that ICS controlled exclusively.
Q. How are we paying for this new building?
A. We are financing the purchase of the building and the renovation through an $18 million bond. A bond is a loan, like a mortgage. Bonds are public funding that let the issuer (ICS) finance long-term investments with external funds. Like a mortgage, we’ll pay our bond—with interest—over time. Our bond is debt we’re obligated to pay ahead of other school spending.
Q. Is it true the school bond won’t pay for the entire renovation?
A. No. The bond will cover the cost of purchasing and renovating the building, plus the cost to build an addition that adds 13 classes, 9 administrative offices, and 3 small reading classrooms. The bond covers all construction and renovations necessary to open the school in the new building in September 2008.
The cost-engineering process we went through to make it possible to buy this building did result in some tradeoffs. We can’t presently afford playground equipment. Our Development Committee is working with Fairmount Ventures, a consulting company that specializes in fundraising and development, to implement a strategy for raising funds for our school’s needs, including some of these items.
Initially, we couldn’t afford replacement windows or a full cooking kitchen. Through the efforts of our construction project manager and our parent-run Food Services Committee, we’re now looking at being able to offer both in the Fall.
Q. How is the school prioritizing the items we cannot currently afford?
A. We are putting the highest priority on the playground space. A subcommittee of the Development Committee is determining a playground design and the related funding needs. They are also actively pursuing a KABOOM grant. KABOOM is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to making play spaces available to every child in the United States.
Q. I heard the building is so expensive that it’s going to affect our ability to take field trips, hire new teachers, and pay our teachers well. Is that true?
A. No. Our program and our teacher pay structure will not be affected. Before the vote to purchase this building, the CEO/Principal confirmed that we could afford the school without any change or impact to our school’s program, salaries, benefits, and other general operating expenses. In fact, at the same time the BOT voted to purchase the new building, they voted to increase our teacher salaries, bringing our teacher salaries closer in line with the salaries of those in the Philadelphia School District.
Our bond covers the cost of purchasing and renovating the building. It does not cover the cost of certain things we consider priorities, such as playground equipment. A playground subcommittee, part of the Development Committee, is working on the design, funding needs, and funding opportunities for building a playground. The Development Committee, together with our partner, Fairmount Ventures, has been implementing our Resource Development Plan, a three-year strategy for raising additional money through families, corporations, foundations, and other sources. They will be providing an update on their work in June.
Q. What is the fundraising plan?
A. The strategy that Fairmount Ventures developed with us includes these features:
- Make sure people know who we are. ICS does great things and offers a lot to Philadelphia and its citizens. We want to make sure people know who we are, what we do, and why they should want to be involved.
- Create a Foundation Board. This Board will help us build relationships with those interested in supporting public education, specifically ICS.
- Build a “culture of giving” at the school. We’d like to have every family make a financial gift to the school, based on their financial means. There are two reasons for this. The first is that 100% parental giving demonstrates to other funders that we, the people who best know the school and what it can offer, feel so strongly about our school that we want to make a financial gift to it. The second is more basic. To add to our school’s program and to improve our school’s facilities, we need to raise money from all sources. As a charter school we receive less funding from the state and we have additional financial responsibilities—we pay for our own building, for example. Fundraising helps us close this gap.
- Secure funding from other sources. There are many foundations and companies, and some public sector organizations that are interested in supporting what ICS does. We are creating a plan for identifying and approaching them.
We’ll be implementing this strategy over the next three years.
Transportation
Q. How can I get to the new building on public transportation?
A. You can use the following public transportation:
SEPTA - Convenient access via the Broad Street line (Lombard-South station), the 40 bus, which runs on Lombard, and the 2 bus, which runs on 16th Street.
PATCO - Get off at the station on 15th/16th and Locust
For more route information, visit http://www.septa.org and http://www.ridepatco.org.
Q. Where will the drop-off and pick-up location be?
A. We are currently exploring the option of having bus drop-off and pickup on 16th Street near Lombard Street. A crossing guard/staff person will safely walk students across 16th Street where they will enter our facility on Lombard Street.
Drivers will drop off and pick up on Lombard Street in the dedicated parking area in front of the building.
Walkers will be dropped off and picked up at the entrance to our outside space on Lombard.
The Streets Department must approve our plans for bus loading and parent pickup. Check back here for more information and updates.
Q. Will my child’s bus pickup time be same time as it is now?
A. Yes. We will continue a similar morning schedule as we have now. The School District of Philadelphia creates the bus schedules. We will work closely with them and inform you of any changes that affect your child’s schedule.
Q. How do I know if I qualify for bus service now?
A. The eligibility requirements will be the same as they are today. To be eligible for yellow bus service, your child or children must be in grades 1-6 and live 1.5 miles or more from the school.
Student involvement
Q. Can the kids be involved in this move?
A. Yes, we hope so. We will coordinate different ways the ICS kids can get involved in the move. We also plan to invite them to visit the building over the summer.
Q. How will the kids “say goodbye” to the current building?
A. Anytime we “move on” in life, we take pictures, write memoirs, recall funny memories, and in many ways capture our shared experience. To help the ICS kids say goodbye to our current building, we’re writing the 7-year history of ICS on 7th street. By involving the kids in the move, we’ll also help them transition and create a sense of connection with our new building.
Neighborhood
Q. What do the neighborhood residents think of our moving there?
A. The neighbors are very happy we’re moving into the area. They prefer the building being used once again as a school. ICS is now a member of South Street West Business Association and the Center City Residence Association (CCRA). We will review joining other community groups, too.
Q. What parks and playgrounds are in the area?
A. The closest recreational areas are:
- Rittenhouse Square, between 18th and 20th and Walnut and Rittenhouse Square.
- The Marian Anderson Recreation Center at 744 South 17th Street, between Catharine and Fitzwater Streets. This center has a playground, a pool, and after school programs, too.
- Palumbo Park, between 9th and 10th and Bainbridge and Fitzwater Streets.
- Seger Park, between 10th and 11th and Lombard and Rodman Streets.
- Taney Park at 26th and Pine Streets.
- The Christian Street YMCA at 1724 Christian Street. This YMCA has a pool and offers swimming lessons, an after-school program, and many other programs.
Q. What after-school places will pick up from the new building? Where are they located? And how can I find out more about them?
A. We currently do not have any programs that are picking up from the new building. With the help of many parents, we have created a list of other after-school programs for families to consider. These programs have not been evaluated or screened by ICS, nor are they being endorsed. We strongly encourage you to screen each of these programs against your family’s needs. If you did not pick up this list at your report card conference, please or call her at 215.238.8000 X5033.
