Belmont Charter, a neighborhood K-8 school in Mantua, will open a high school in the fall 2017. The School Reform Commission (SRC) voted on Friday in support of the school’s application to create a 300-student Belmont Charter High School. Belmont has the choice of creating a new charter or amending the existing charter to create a K-12 school. The school can eventually enroll 500 across grades 9-12.

Currently, most Belmont graduates advance to the catchment area school, West Philadelphia High School. Admission to Belmont Charter High School would give preference to Belmont’s rising K-8 students, who would account for a projected 60 of the 125 grade level seats.

“Over the years, we have watched too many good students drop out or struggle immensely when they reach high school because they aren’t able to get the kinds of support they critically need,” Jennifer Faustman, Chief Executive Officer at Belmont Charter School, said in a statement in May. “Our community school model gives them positive out of school time and wraparound services which help them succeed. Too often once students graduate from Belmont, the reward for their success is being placed into a school that takes those resources away, and that’s not right.” 

Enclosed with the application were 178 signed pre-enrollment forms from 100 percent of students in the current Belmont Charter 7th grade class. The overwhelming response from the community was part of what inspired the pursuit of a high school. Parents, students and community members said the area needs a high school after University City High School was closed in 2013.

The SRC had rejected Belmont’s earlier application in February, but it was resubmitted. What may have helped the school’s application this time around was City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell’s support. Her statement in favor of the application was read at the SRC Friday’s meeting that said that the Belmont charters had “exceeded all her expectations,” according to a report by The Notebook.