Five more charter schools have been approved to open in New York City for next school year, Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein announced last week.
The city currently has 32 charter schools, including nine that opened this school year, and the city鈥檚 department of education is working on several more applications for the state board of regents to consider this spring.
Mr. Klein said in a statement that New York has 鈥渨orked hard to become the most charter-friendly district in the country.鈥�
The schools approved this month by the state board include two for students in grades 5-8 to be operated by the Houston-based Knowledge Is Power Program, or KIPP. The schools will open just with 5th graders and expand by adding another grade each year for four years.
Two more schools, which will eventually serve students in grades K-7 and K-9, will be run by Achievement First, a charter-management organization based in New Haven, Conn. In addition, an existing Harlem public school will convert to charter status and immediately serve K-8 students.
