In 2013, the Philadelphia School Reform Commission decided that the charter for the Community Academy of Philadelphia, Philadelphia’s oldest charter school, should not be renewed, citing the school’s financial and academic struggles.
Bochetto & Lentz attorney, David P. Heim, represented the school in the hearing that would ultimately decide the fate of Community Academy.
Heim argued that the school should not be compared to other Philadelphia charter schools for two reasons: the test scores of other schools in the district – which were under investigation – were inflated due to cheating, and Community Academy was more welcoming, accepting struggling students who were screened out by other charter school’s admission policies.
In 2015, the State Charter Appeal Board allowed Community Academy to renew its charter, overturning the School Reform Commission’s verdict and allowing Community Academy to stay open.
The Philadelphia Inquirer covered this story, with statements from David Heim, in the following articles:
