11th anniversary book 114 FINAL online - Flipbook - Page 26
2007
Signing the Loan Papers for Círculo Center
The papers for Círculo’s loan were signed in March of 2007. The process leading up to this was very tense and
required a significant amount of effort on everyone’s part. Approvals from the Attorney General’s office were
needed. This was held up for several months and Círculo asked its political representatives to help intervene
and find out why the process was delayed. There was no apparent reason why Círculo’s application was not
approved. It just needed signatures. The loan, however, could not move forward without this approval. After
weeks, Gil Bernardino and Eileen Mullin, representing Círculo’s funder, finally got the needed signatures.
They decided to wait outside the Attorney General’s office each day until papers were signed. At last, the
papers were signed after one day, enabling Círculo to move forward to close on the loan. The loan closed on
March 7, 2007.
Ground Breaking for Círculo Center
The groundbreaking for the Círculo Center was held on May 4, 2007. The concept for the Center was still
lavish at the time. We planned for a “green” building, built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) standards and also thought we could have solar panels, a geothermal system, many windows and
architectural features similar to traditional Spanish buildings in Spain as well as throughout cities in Central
and South America and the Carribean. The vision for the original design of the building was to be a common
symbol for all Hispanics and for all residents. We wanted to use the Center for educational programs, including
“green” programming, to teach youth, adults and community members about the importance of conserving
resources and protecting our fragile earth.
Planning for a Charter School
In 2007, the moratorium on charter schools in New York State was lifted and it was announced that a new
round of 100 charters would be offered. The application deadline for the first schools in this round was
scheduled for the summer of 2008.
Círculo did not want to lose out. The original 100 charters had quickly been distributed. Even though this was
a difficult time as Círculo was in the midst of constructing its facility, Gil and Sarah did not want to miss this
important opportunity.
Sarah had completed her doctorate at Columbia University several years before in the area of educational
administration and policy, and like Gil, was passionate about education. They worked together to develop a
concept and plan for a charter school while construction continued at the Center.
They began meeting with different individuals and institutions in New York City to get support and find
consultants that could support Círculo with the idea for a charter school. This included meetings with the New
York City Chancellor’s office, the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence, and charter school
management companies, including Uncommon Schools, Achievement First and Victory Schools. They all
said that they were not able to help us at that time; they were busy with other projects and could not take on
another school.
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