Philadelphia School Reform Commission makes deals to benefit -- Head of School Reform Commission

[Hannah Bell]

The School Reform Commission plans to vote Wednesday on a South Philadelphia charter school deal that stands to benefit not one, but two nonprofits with ties to Chairman Robert Archie.

The scheduled vote comes amid controversy over Archie's behind-the-scenes conduct in a similar deal involving Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Germantown. There, Archie took part in pivotal private meetings about the future of the school despite having recused himself from public votes because of his law firm's prior representation of Foundations, Inc., one of the operators vying to manage the school.

At stake Wednesday is the future of Audenried High and Vare Middle schools in South Philadelphia. Universal Companies, with whom Archie also has had longstanding ties, is set to be awarded management rights to both schools. Foundations would likely benefit as a subcontractor.

The estimated value of the Audenried and Vare charters is $45 million over five years. Archie has deep connections to both Universal and its founder, Kenny Gamble. He was personally involved in his firm’s work on a $74 million housing development in South Philadelphia that was jointly led by Universal and the Philadelphia Housing Authority. Archie and Gamble are longtime friends, and Archie served on the boards of Universal Community Homes and Universal Institute Charter School prior to his appointment to the SRC.

http://www.thenotebook.org/blog/113623/src-vote-audenried-vare-move-forward-despite-controversy