New School vote moved to Monday

Due to inclement weather, the board of the University City New School cancelled yesterday's scheduled vote on closing the school. The possible closure at the end of this academic year was prompted by financial difficulties. A zoning hearing last month pointed out occupancy violations in the New School's future home at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue, and it would cost the private school $100,000 to repair these unforeseen problems. The school began a fund-raising campaign for the needed $100,000, but has only raised $25,000 thus far. The New School is set to move from its current home at 42nd and Spruce streets in June to make room for the Penn-assisted public school planned for its current site. Earlier this week, the New School's board said it would vote Thursday on whether or not to close the school, but the heavy snow caused officials to postpone the board meeting -- and a final decision until Monday. "Nothing has changed," New School Principal Betty Ratay said yesterday. "We have not been able to raise the money, but we have a couple of ideas in the works." Ratay declined to elaborate on these ideas. Before the zoning hearing, the New School expected its relocation to cost $350,000 -- Penn would supply $200,000 and the other $150,000 was to come from a loan. The unexpected violations have brought the total to $450,000. "I am not operating under the assumption that it'll close," University Director of City and Community Relations Glenn Bryan said. "It serves as one of the educational alternatives for the community at large." Founded 26 years ago by parents -- most of whom were Penn affiliates -- the New School has faced low enrollment numbers since its inception. With a smaller student body, it has been difficult for the school to receive the endowments necessary to financially secure its future. Just as the school's enrollment began to rise, the Penn-assisted school displaced the New School -- and the unanticipated occupancy violations surfaced. "Did [the Penn-assisted school] pose a very big threat? Absolutely, because they took our building," Ratay said. "It is not all their fault. If we had been independent enough to own our own building, this wouldn't have happened," she added. As the New School's landlord, the University has aided the school by forgiving rent and loan payments in the past. But Ratay said she does not expect Penn to step in and save the day this time. "The New School Board was clearly informed over two years ago, in 1998, that Penn would not be able to provide it with any financial assistance after this academic year," Steve Schutt, Penn's pointman for the Penn-assisted school project, wrote in an e-mail yesterday. In part, the University started the Penn-assisted school to offer an educational alternative for the children of Penn faculty and staff. "On the one hand, I see how it could be important not to support both [schools]," Ratay said. "On the other hand, I would like to see someone step up to the plate." The University offered to merge the Penn-assisted school with the New School, but Ratay declined. Ratay said she decided not to pursue a merger because the catchment area for the Penn-assisted school excluded many of the New School's students. Also, New School teachers -- some of whom lack certification -- were not guaranteed employment at the Penn-assisted public school. "If we had joined Penn's project, we would have avoided [the possible close]," Ratay said. "Would it have been good? Hindsight is 20/20. I'm still not sure it would have been." Ratay blamed the zoning board for the New School's possible close, claiming that the decision to require air conditioning and sprinklers was "not a law, but a judgement call." Parents have been asked to re-enroll their children for the next academic year and write a deposit check immediately. By talking to parents who have decided not to re-enroll their children, New School officials have determined that a recent drop in the school's enrollment is mainly due to insecurities over the future of the school.