11th anniversary book 114 FINAL online - Flipbook - Page 30
Construction resumes but with additional delays
Construction resumed in the fall of 2008.
Círculo worked to restructure payments with the funders and representatives of the IDA because of project
delays. Originally scheduled to begin repayment of its loan in 2009, restructuring enabled Círculo to reach
debt coverage ratio levels beginning in June 2010. Each potential project delay, however, put Círculo in a
tighter position to meet obligations with the funders. Already Círculo had removed many elements of the
building, stripping construction to offset costs.
While money was tight, the agency had to make important decisions to keep the project moving forward.
That Fall, Círculo waited for County inspectors to finish needed observations in order for work to resume.
Inspections scheduled for October were delayed until November due to illness by County inspectors who
scheduled and rescheduled inspections with Círculo’s contractors. Work could not proceed until inspections
were passed. Círculo waited patiently through October and into November for inspections to take place.
Meanwhile, the temperature dropped. The changing weather meant that the concrete could not be poured
which meant even more delays. Finally, inspectors came in November. Círculo could not afford to wait until
the Spring for the weather to get warmer. In order for the project to continue moving forward, an additional
$20,000 from its project fund was used to rent heaters and tents to cover the areas where concrete needed to
be poured. It was painful knowing that delayed inspections, caused for whatever reason, cost the agency over
$20,000. This was a huge sacrifice, but it kept the project moving forward. During this time plans for the
charter school continued.
Finding a Consultant to Help Prepare the Círculo’s Charter School Application
Frank Puig was instrumental in connecting Gil Bernardino and Sarah Brewster to Seymour “Sy” Fliegal of
the Center for Educational Innovation. Sy Fliegal and Harvey Newman provided important advice about
creating a charter school. They also connected Gil and Sarah to Frank San Felice, a consultant whom Círculo
later hired to help prepare its application to the New York State Board of Regents. At this time, the Office of
Public School Choice required that a full curriculum with pacing calendars be submitted in the charter school
proposal. Frank San Felice worked with Sarah and Gil to find qualified individuals to assist in writing the
curriculum for the School, one based on Círculo’s values of art, physical education, instruction in a second
language, Spanish, and care for the environment.
The process for charter approval could take two different paths, through the Board of Regents or through the
State University of New York (SUNY). Gil Bernardino, remembering conversations with New York State
Regent, Roger Tilles, about the conditions of the Hempstead School District, decided to apply through the
Board of Regents.
The application process was cumbersome. When it was finally completed in the late Spring of 2008, it was
2,784 pages. The application was prepared in large four-inch binders. Thinking we still had a day to prepare
the box to go to Albany via overnight mail, we called the office to confirm the address. We were told that
the application was due that same day by 5:00 pm. It was already after 2:00 pm and we were in Long Beach,
several hours from Albany. We had put blood, sweat and tears into the project and somehow a terrible mistake
occurred in communication with our consultant about the day the proposal was due.
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