Group Looking to Bring Charter School to Bristol Twp. Meeting Thursday

There’s plan in place to bring a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) charter school to Bristol Township. The one thing missing: the charter.

The group behind the plan to launch the STEM Academy Charter School in Bristol Township and Northeast Philadelphia plans to present an informational meeting Thursday night at the Third District Fire Company on Harrison Street in Bristol. The meeting is set to start at 7 p.m.

Bill Malampy, who is spearheading the K-12 STEM Academy plan, explained recently to LevittownNow.com what the plan for the proposed charter school is.

Malampy, an educated man with multiple degrees, said the STEM Academy plan is based on the economy of scale. For the charter school finances and staffing to work in Bristol Township, a hub school would have to be approved in Philadelphia. From there, the Bristol Township school could be developed. No location for the proposed school has been chosen yet STEM Academy planners said they have several options in Bristol Township.

“You can’t cut it on a high school diploma anymore,” Malampy said. In addition, he illustrated many examples of how the proposed STEM Academy would benefit local students and help them excel in the global economy. Malampy also explained how he was already working organizations like NASA to give students at the proposed schools a hands-on experience.

The STEM Academy board has laid out a vision that gives students more meaningful time in the classroom and requires parents to be more involved in their child’s education,  Malampy said.

Bishop Melvin Howard, a longtime advocate for students in Bristol Township, is part of the effort to bring STEM Academy to the township. He said Malampy has traveled to China and across the United State to gather the best techniques to help local students thrive.

Lawmakers including local Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick and Philadelphia Congressman Bob Brady support the plan and have written letters supporting the proposed undertaking.

The folks behind the STEM Academy worked with Dr. James Gilmour at Temple University and Sister Francesca Onley of Holy Family University to put together a roughly 1,000-page application that will first be submitted to the committee that oversees Philadelphia schools and then the Bristol Township School District.

The STEM Academy board said they hope the proposed school will flourish into a facility that has its students graduate on to the nation’s top colleges and universities.

Howard was previously behind an attempt to bring a charter school to Bristol Township. In 2011, he was one of several people behind the Excel Academy Charter School application. The application came before the school board and was not approved.

Howard said the newest charter school plan is solid and will help Bristol Township students. He said he believes Malampy and the school planners will be able to get the new learning facility opened.

The school would be funded by grants and would receive about 70 percent of tuition costs per student from traditional districts that send students to STEM Academy.

“These kids need a good education more centered on the global market,” Howard said. “We plan to provide that.”