Marblehead charter school head up for evaluation

MARBLEHEAD- Nina Cullen-Hamzeh, the interim academic director of the Marblehead Community Charter Public School, has a strong plus going into her evaluation tonight by the school trustees – her efforts have increased school enrollment.The charter school, which opened the year with 190 students, had 220 students enrolled just before St. Patrick’s Day. As Interim Managing Director Albert Argenziano pointed out, the 30-student increase since Sept. 1 made up 70 percent of the enrollment deficit, and the revenue for them has reduced the school’s budget deficit to $183,000.Furthermore, the school has 236 students signed up for next fall and 91 more on the waiting list. More Marblehead students are choosing the charter school as well. This year there were 88 Marblehead students enrolled, at a cost to the town of $900,592. Next fall the school is expecting 110, an increase of 25 percent in the town’s cost.Marblehead school administrators estimate that 100 charter school students returned to the Marblehead Village School and Marblehead Veterans Middle School last fall. If next year’s enrollment figures hold, the charter school has gotten almost 25 percent of that figure back in one year.Next year, the charter school expects 50 students each in Grades 4-6, 46 in Grade 7 and 40 in Grade 8. Marblehead will supply 37 Grade 4 students, 17 in Grade 5, 29 in Grade 6, 18 in Grade 7 and nine in Grade 8 – and four more Marbleheaders are on the waiting list.Next year’s school will also have 45 students from Swampscott, 34 from Lynn, 27 from Salem and 13 from Nahant.Argenziano reminded the trustees two months ago that the parents of those enrollees made a commitment to Cullen-Hamzeh, who has met each visiting family this year and toured the school with them.In his last report to the trustees the veteran educator said he was pleased that the trustees and their personnel subcommittee moved quickly to set up Cullen-Hamzeh’s evaluation.