UC New School rejects merger, looks to move

UCNS officials vetoed an offer to fold into the new Penn-aided school. The University City New School Board of Trustees formally rejected Penn's offer to merge with the new Penn-assisted public school that is scheduled to be built on the same block at 42nd and Spruce streets. UCNS will now be forced to relocate elsewhere in West Philadelphia. Citing such reasons as the New School's goal of a low student-teacher ratio and a commitment to maintaining a diverse student body, the Board made its final decision after nearly 1 1/2 years of deliberation, as well as consultation with faculty and parents. "UCNS was assured that the new public school would be modeled on their own small, strongly diverse, progressive school model," Elizabeth Ratay, head of the New School, wrote in a press release yesterday. "As the project continued, it became clear that the public school would not resemble UCNS in any of its essential qualities." University officials did not return several calls for comment yesterday afternoon. Penn owns the block of land on 42nd and Spruce streets which is currently home to University City New School, the Penn Children's Center and the Parent-Infant Center. When the University announced in June 1998 that the new public school would be built on the same location as UCNS, it invited the small private school to merge with the new project. And although the Board was initially willing to entertain that idea, Ratay said, it soon became clear that the goals of the schools were just too different. "It just doesn't fit what we want to be," Ratay said. "It's too big. It's too traditional. That's none of what we want." UCNS has approximately 100 students and was created in 1973 by a group of Penn-affiliated parents who were not satisfied with homogenous private schools in the suburbs. However, they still felt that West Philadelphia public schools were unacceptable, New School Admissions Director Elene Kavitsky said. Since that time, Kavitsky explained, UCNS has been committed to maintaining a small and diverse student body that attracts students from Philadelphia and the surrounding region. After surveying the parents of children who attend UCNS, many long debates among Board members -- and even a day-long retreat in December with a facilitator -- the Board decided to reject the University's offer. "The University was urging us to merge," Kavitsky said. "I don't think they were happy with our decision." As for the future of UCNS, Ratay hopes that the school can relocate its students and faculty elsewhere in University City. She believes it would be beneficial if the community can choose between a public and private school, and that such competition would improve each institution. Still, Ratay indicated her regret at having to leave a building that UCNS has occupied for 23 years. "Anything that anybody does to make public education better is worth the effort," Ratay said. "Our problem has been 'Why do you have to do it to this block?'"

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.