Universal Vare plans to surrender its charter. What’s next?

A Philadelphia charter school appears to be on a path to closure: Officials at Universal Vare in South Philadelphia have said they won’t attempt to operate the school past its current charter term, which expires next year.

The school, on South 24th Street, serves a shrinking student body. In the school year that just concluded, it served only about 125 students in fifth through eighth grade.

Universal Vare will open in the fall, but will not accept a new fifth grade class; fifth-graders must instead enroll in other district or charter schools.

The school has been run by Kenny Gamble’s Universal Companies since 2011. Originally a Philadelphia School District neighborhood school, it was handed over to the charter company during a period when the district was experimenting with outsourcing struggling schools to outside providers — a practice it has since stopped.

Universal officials characterized the recent decision as “courageous” and blamed pressures experienced by schools citywide.

“Gentrification and declining birth rates have significantly impacted school enrollment — not just here, but across Philadelphia,” said Penny Nixon, Universal Charter Schools CEO. “While this decision was difficult, we are committed to ensuring that every scholar is well cared for during this transition and that their next school experience builds on the foundation created at Universal Vare Charter School.”

Vare’s closure is not automatic. When a company loses its charter or chooses not to pursue a charter, a “Renaissance charter,” or former district neighborhood school, reverts back to district control.

But the district is in the midst of a citywide facilities planning process, with officials contemplating closures, as well as co-locations, repairs, and new construction. The public school system already has tens of thousands of empty seats in its 300-plus buildings and is attempting to come up with a long-term plan.

So while the district might choose to operate Vare as a stand-alone school, it seems likely that officials ultimately will opt to stop running the program; with fifth grade removed, Vare will likely have fewer than 100 students in the fall, a number that makes academic programming and operations difficult.

Peng Chao, the district’s chief of charter schools, called the plan a “responsible and student-centered decision,” and said it reflected “a deep commitment to ensuring that all students have access to robust, high-quality educational experiences. We appreciate the school’s thoughtful approach and continued focus on doing what is best for students.”

After its first, five-year charter term, Universal Vare received a notice of nonrenewal, the first step on the road to closure — officials at the time cited problems in academics. The school ultimately received a new charter in 2021.

Universal, in recent years, has pulled out of three Philadelphia charters.

In 2022, the company walked away from Bluford and Daroff, two West Philadelphia schools, over differences with the boards of those schools.

Students and families at Bluford and Daroff, which were also Renaissance charters, were ultimately stranded just before a new school year began in what one school official at the time described as “an active crisis for children.” Daroff eventually closed, and Bluford was reclaimed by the district, which still operates that school.

Universal also operates a stand-alone charter and three more Renaissance charters in the city.

Universal officials have scheduled a Thursday news conference to discuss the decision. Lawmakers, including state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and state Rep. Jordan Harris, both Philadelphia Democrats, are expected to speak.