PHILADELPHIA, PA — ASPIRA Inc. of Pennsylvania announced that the Philadelphia Board of Education has approved five-year charter renewals for both Antonia Pantoja Charter School and Eugenio Maria De Hostos Charter School, two high-performing K-8 public charter schools in North Philadelphia. Alongside this renewal, the Board of Education granted the two schools an additional 310 combined seats at its September 21, 2023 meeting.
These expansions underscore the schools’ strong academic and climate outcomes. Moreover, their financial metrics have consistently outperformed both city and state standards.
Alfredo B. Calderon, President & CEO of ASPIRA Inc. of Pennsylvania, expressed his gratitude and optimism: “We’re pleased to be able to grow ASPIRA’s impact as part of our “Cradle to Career” approach. Both schools exceeded targets in academics, climate, and financial performance domains. Moreover, during this renewal cycle, both Pantoja and Hostos earned either perfect or near-perfect scores on the site visit rubric, as conducted by the Charter School’s Office. We look forward to working with the School District of Philadelphia to continue this work.”
Great demand exists for the dual-language education provided by these schools, as evidenced by the extensive waitlists that have consistently exceeded 1,000 students.
“The fact that our schools have maintained such a substantial waitlist speaks volumes about the quality of the education we provide,” added Calderon.
For the communities of North Philadelphia and Hunting Park, this expansion is significant. As Calderon stated, “ASPIRA is committed to the families and children of these neighborhoods. These charter renewals and the additional seats represent a significant milestone, empowering us to further our mission and make a lasting positive impact.”
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