Will Sen. David Sokola Stand With Pencader?

Sen. Sokola is the Chair of the Senate Education Committee. From 2005-2006 and for part of 2007 he served on the Newark Charter School Board of Directors.

Sen. Sokola's Response to a Constituent:

XXXXX,
Thank you for your email concerning Pencader Charter High School.

I appreciate your concerns and opinions on this issue, as I have been a long supporter of charter schools. I feel it is important for such schools to have an opportunity to succeed and make an impact in the lives of its students. While I can appreciate that some changes have been made at Pencader Charter School, such as the new leadership, these changes may not be enough to ward off very significant challenges that lie ahead.

You mentioned in your email that the new School Leader had presented a balanced budget for the upcoming school year. I believe that this balanced budget is contingent only upon receiving a loan, which so far has not been granted.

I understand and share your frustrations in that poor planning and bad judgment on the part of the previous administration has caused great hardship for the school. Going forward, we must implement policies to ensure that these schools meet the standards in their Charters, and do so within their budgets.

Thank you again for your email and for contacting me about this issue.
Dave Sokola
State Senator
8th District