11th anniversary book 114 FINAL online - Flipbook - Page 42
Planning for Expansion
Charter Renewal Application and Expansion for a Middle School
Evergreen was required to submit an application to renew its charter in the summer of 2016. This was a
momentous project. Administrators worked to complete the application along with Dr. Sarah Brewster. In this
application, the school included its plan to serve students from kindergarten to eighth grade. A public hearing
was held in the Fall of 2016 by the Hempstead School District as per State Education Department guidelines.
Evergreen students, staff and families were present and spoke in support of Evergreen’s application.
To plan for expansion, Evergreen explored options for space and ultimately it decided to rent mobile classrooms
to provide additional space for student instruction. Sarah and Gil provided support to help Evergreen obtain
approvals for the mobile classrooms. Approval needed to be sought from the Village of Hempstead and the
classrooms needed to pass safety and fire inspections. Ultimately classrooms were approved and Evergreen
was able to use this space for instruction and educational support.
Enrollment for the 2016-2017 increased by an additional 75 students:
2017
Charter Renewal Approval
Evergreen’s charter was approved for renewal in early 2017. In addition, Evergreen’s expansion was approved
to serve students in the seventh and eighth grades. This was another exciting milestone for Evergreen!
Searching for New Space
Once approval for additional expansion was obtained, Gil and Sarah began to explore options in the community
where the school could expand. Several sites were considered with the decision to make a home at the Lady
of Loretto, in Hempstead. The summer of 2017 was a busy one and staff worked hard to prepare the space for
100 students, 50 sixth graders and 50 seventh graders. Many measures had to be taken to prepare the space for
students. The Business Office worked collaboratively with maintenance, church personnel and contractors to
ensure that the space would be operational by September for students. Cameras, phones, WIFI, technology,
security and other important features were installed to ensure the safety of students and to ready the facility
for instruction.
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