Gulen charter schools in South Carolina

STATE	# ACTIVE	# PENDING	# INACTIVE*	TOTAL ATTEMPTS
FL	1	0	1	2

* Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status

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SCHOOLS

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GREENVILLE RENEWABLE ENERGY (or GREEN) CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	APPROVED: opening Fall 2013 http://www.gsabusiness.com/news/47426-greenville-charter-school-gets-approval-opening-in-the-fall
Charter Holder	Not known
Authorizer	South Carolina Public Charter School District (approved April 2013). In 2011 the State Charter School Advisory Committee rejected the application.
Website	http://greenedcharterschool.org/, designed by Atlantic Wind Productions (designs websites for other Gulen charter schools in the region, as well as other organizations associated with the Gulen movement, e.g. Istanbul Center.
Location/District	1440 Pelham Rd.,Greenville (the first charter school in Greenville County). The school acquired the former Pelham Oaks Shopping Center.
Enrollment	Grades K-12
Individuals involved	Akif Aydin, Baran (aka Barry) Menguloglu, Imtiaz Haque, A. Kadir Yildirim [Abdulkadir Yildirim], and Adem Dokmeci. Project Director [Abdulbasit] Akif Aydin is a co-founder of River City Science Academy, a Gulen charter school in FL. He is also the president of the South Carolina Dialogue Foundation, and was previously director of Amity Turkish Cultural Center in FL where he was also its Turkey trip guide. Baran Menguloglu is a South Carolina Dialogue Foundation board member. Imtiaz Haque traveled to Turkey on a South Carolina Dialogue Foundation-sponsored trip. A. Kadir Yildirim was the chair of the GREEN Charter School Planning Committee. Adem Dokmeci, GREEN Charter School’s principal for 2013-14 was principal of River City Science Academy in Florida during 2012-2013.
Notes	TV news report: “Some parents question GREEN Charter School's curriculum.” 5/2/2013, FOX Carolina http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/22148843/some-parents-question-green-charter-schools-curriculum

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GREENVILLE SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL (originally called GREENVILLE PALMETTO SCIENCE ACADEMY)
Status	DENIED: continuous attempt from 2006 to 2009
Charter Holder	Greenville Science (originally Palmetto Education Corporation)
Authorizer	Greenville County Schools, following initial review by the State Charter School Advisory Committee
Location/District	Greenville area; originally to open fall 2007
Enrollment	For grades 6-12, 480 students
Individuals involved	Names appearing on 2006 application: Ali Ozer (lead), Guven Yucesan, Mevlut Tascan, Ethan E. Ballard, Ruth Augustin. Augustin has been replaced by Joan Breitenbruck in 2008 and 2009 documents.
Notes	SC charter school law required applicants to first submit their charters to the State Charter School Advisory Committee (SCSAC) for review and recommendation, after which the local school board made the final decision. The school’s 5/2006 application was approved by SCSAC, but rejected in 11/2006 by the Greenville County school board (for an unsound financial plan and inadequate evidence for community support). That decision was overturned at the state level because of procedural issues and was remanded for a rehearing. The rehearing took place in 4/2009 and the board rejected the school once again. A PowerPoint presentation by the school held up Fulton Science Academy, TEACH (now FSA High School) in GA, plus River City Science Academy and Sweetwater Branch Academy in FL as models. All four are Gulen charter schools associated w/ Grace Institute (see below). http://www.scalc.net/decisions.aspx?q=4&id=10810 http://www.boarddocs.com/sc/greenville/Board.nsf/Public (>Meetings>2009>April 17, 2009 special meeting)

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CHARTER HOLDER

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GREENVILLE SCIENCE (ORIGINALLY PALMETTO EDUCATION CORPORATION)
Federal Tax ID	Unknown
Website	None
History	The South Carolina Secretary of State issued a certificate of incorporation for Palmetto Education Corporation as a nonprofit corporation on January 5, 2006. The registered agent for the corporation was Guven Yucesan. Its address was listed as 230 Roper Mountain Road, Greenville, South Carolina 29615. The corporate filing was amended on June 26, 2006 to reflect that the corporate name had been changed to “Greenville Science.” http://www.scalc.net/pdf/070162.pdf

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SERVICE PROVIDER

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GRACE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH & RESOURCES (AKA GRACE SCHOOLS)
Federal Tax ID	EIN 262674420
Website/Address	http://graceschools.us/, “5755 Nortpoint [sic] Pkwy, Suite 1, Alpharetta, GA
Services	From the 2010 brochure: “Membership is a contractual agreement where a candidate school Governing Board adopts the Grace Institute standards and pays a per-pupil fee to partake in the Institute’s activities and to benefit from membership services.” Services listed: “Professional development workshops for new administrator and faculty; Standards based teaching, assessment, and evaluation support; Budget development support; Marketing, recruitment, and enrollment support; Curriculum development research and support; Accreditation standards support; Operations support.”
Individuals involved	Board members on 990s for 2007, 2008, 2009: Ali Ozer, Kenar Sener, Namik Sercan, Selim Ozdemir, and Yucel Aktas; w/books in care of Avni Cokavci and Ilbey Budak [see Occonee Science Academy above; probably Ismailcem Budak Arpinar]
Notes	All member schools are in the Gulen movement-identified charter school network. Previously appearing on website: “Current members include these two original schools [FSA Middle and High] as well as (in order of their opening years) Stars Middle School, River City Science Academy Middle and High School, Orlando Science Middle and High School, Sweetwater Branch Academy Middle and High School, New Springs Middle School, Fulton Sunshine Academy Elementary School, River City Science Academy Elementary School, and Sweetwater Branch Academy Elementary School.”

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Read about the Grace Institute and related Florida Gulen charter schools in Florida @ http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/florida-schools-orlando-river-city-sweetwater-stars-new-springs.html

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National Heritage Academies (huge rent markups @ NYC charter schools)

“Charter management firm charging huge rent markups to charter schools; Charters’ 1,000% markup.” New York Post, 4/30/2012  

A for-profit education firm is soaking taxpayers by subleasing buildings to the Brooklyn public charter schools it runs at astronomical rates — including one at an incredible 1,000 percent markup, sources said.

While the city Department of Education leases buildings in Brooklyn for between $5 and $25 per square foot, the Michigan-based National Heritage Academies subleases to the charter schools it operates for roughly $38 to $45 per square foot, according to a review of public school leases by The Post.

For example, NHA is leasing a former school building on Parkville Avenue in Kensington from the Brooklyn Diocese for approximately $264,000 per year, according to a church source.

Yet the firm billed the site, the Brooklyn Dreams Charter School, $2.76 million for rent and related charges there last year — a 1,000 percent markup, financial filings show...

The firm is one of the few for-profits in New York that manages all educational aspects of its charter schools, after being grandfathered in when state law abolished the practice in 2010.

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Gulen charter schools in New York

STATE	# ACTIVE	# PENDING	# INACTIVE*	TOTAL ATTEMPTS
NY	3	2	6	11

* Denied, withdrawn, closed, or unknown status

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TOTAL ENROLLMENT IN 2010-2011 = 1109 STUDENTS

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SCHOOLS

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SYRACUSE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2003
Non-profit	Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School (see table below)
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
Term of charter	7/1/2012 to 6/30/2017 (second renewal for a five-year charter). The initial charter was granted in 2003 for five years. The first renewal was for 1/15/2008-6/30/2012.
District	Syracuse City School District
Location/Website	Elementary grades located at 4837 S. Salina St., Syracuse. Secondary grades located at 1001 Park Ave., Syracuse; http://www.sascs.org/
Enrollment	Grades K-12; 467 students in 2010-2011
Individuals involved	Tolga Hayali (director since 2008-2009), Hakki Karaman (director 2003-2008; currently at Magnolia Science Academy-San Diego)
Notes	SASCS began as a 7-12 school. It received permission from the Board of Regents to add elementary grades in 2010. In 2011, a site for the elementary school was purchased by Terra Science and Education Foundation for $375,000. SASCS rents this building for ~$20,000/mo. (info on Terra below).

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BUFFALO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2004
Non-profit	Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School (see table below)
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
Term of charter	7/1/2012 to 6/30/2015 (second renewal for a short-term three-year charter; did not receive a five-year renewal due to academic concerns). The initial charter was granted in 2004 for five years. The first renewal was for 1/12/2009-6/30/2012.
District	Buffalo City School District
Location/Website	190 Franklin Street, Buffalo; http://www.bascs.org/
Enrollment	Grades 7-12; 382 students in 2010-2011
Individuals involved	Director 2011-12: Mustafa Ersoy (worked at Horizon Science Academy-Cleveland, a Gulen charter school in Ohio)
Notes	Original school site was at 15 Jewett Parkway. The school leases its current site from Apple Education Services (see below). AES purchased the building in 2006.

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ROCHESTER ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	ACTIVE: opened 2008
Non-profit	Rochester Academy Charter School (see table below)
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
Term of charter	January 15, 2008 to January 14, 2013
District	Rochester City School District
Location/Website	841 Genesee St. and 901 Portland Ave., Rochester; http://www.racschool.com/
Enrollment	Grades 7-11; 260 students in 2010-2011
Individuals involved	Principal Ercan (AKA John E.) Tozan, formerly headmaster at Putnam Science Academy (a private Gulen school in CT)
Notes	Junior high campus is on Genesee St.; the high school campus is on Portland Ave.

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WESTCHESTER ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	PENDING: application for school to open Fall 2013 is under review
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
District	Yonkers Public Schools
Location/Website	Proposed location is 2 Wells Ave. Yonkers, http://www.westchesterscience.org/
Individuals involved	Attempt #1: Mehmet Ozhabes (lead), Hasan Erkan, Mithat Gashi, Serigne Gningue, Muhammed Ozdemir, Turgay Erguk. Attempt #2: Mehmet Ozhabes (lead), Hasan Erkan, R. Gul Tiryaki Sonmez, Serigne Gningue, Genevieve Yarrell-Harris, Mithat Gashi, Madeline Gomez, Mithat Gashi, Mustafa E. Ozbudak, Selcuk Eren, Joseph Viggiani. Attempt #3: Mehmet Ozabes. Attempt #4: Mehmet Ozhabes (lead), Genevieve Yarrell-Harris, Serigne Gningue, Hasan Erkan, Mithat Gashi, Madeline Gomez, Mustafa E. Ozbudak, Selcuk Eren, R. Gul Tiryaki Sonmez, Lawrence R. Sykes.
History	WASCS has made four attempts. In 2009, an application was submitted in July but was withdrawn in November. In 2010, an application was submitted but was not approved. In 2011, a letter of intent for 7-12 school to open Fall 2012 was submitted. In Feb. 2012, an application was submitted for 6-12 school to open Fall 2013.
Notes	2010 prospectus: “WASCS’ education program replicates that of Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School.” Mehmet Ozhabes has been involved with Truebright Science Academy and Central Jersey College Prep Charter School (GM-network schools in PA and NJ)

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UTICA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	PENDING: initial application submitted for 6-12 school in Feb. 2012 was incomplete and rejected; UASCS plans to resubmit application in June 2012 (school to open Fall 2013).
Non-profit	Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School (see table below)
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
District	Utica City School District
Website	http://www.uascs.org/
Individuals involved	Fehmi Damkaci (lead), Yildiray Yildirim, Birol Ozturk, Sherman Dunmore, Patricia Coban
Notes	“The proposed Utica Academy of Science Charter School (UASCS) will be a replication of Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School (SASCS), whose board members will be the founding board members of UASCS.” Damkaci is a founding board member of the Pioneer Charter School of Science (Gulen charter school in MA).

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CAPITAL ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	INACTIVE: A 2003 application for K-12 school to open Fall 2004 was not recommended for approval. A 2004 application for 6-11 school to open Fall 2005 did not progress.
Authorizer	Charter Schools Institute of the State University of New York (SUNY)
District	Troy City School District
Individuals involved	Contact: Murat Yuksel (in 2008 appears as board member of Coral Academy of Science, a Gulen charter school in Nevada)
Notes	“The organizers of the Capital Academy charter School in Troy center around a group of researchers and alumni of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University at Albany, said spokesman Murat Yuksel, an RPI research associate and lecturer.The group came together over concern about the quality of education in Troy and surrounding school districts.”

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BINGHAMTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	INACTIVE: First attempt in 2009 (application withdrawn 7/2009). Second attempt for school w/grades 7-12 to open in fall 2011. Prospectus submitted 8/2010 but school did not advance.
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
District	Binghamton City School District
Individuals involved	First attempt: Birol Kanik (lead), Galymahan Kirbassov, Holly Gobelez. Second attempt: Galymzhan Kirbassov (lead), Tolga Hayali, Mine Ozer, Slobodan Tanusevski, Janelle Smith
Notes	“School design of BASCS draws directly on Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School model...”

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BRENTWOOD ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	INACTIVE: One attempt; withdrew application in Nov. 2009
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
District	Brentwood Union Free School District
Individuals involved	Kerim Gulyuz (lead), Bernadette Marson, Michael Deluise, Muzaffer Ozcelik, Mary A. Gubitosi, Recep Ornek, Cem Kuscu

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CITY ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	INACTIVE: Attempt to open a 7-12 school in Fall 2009; Another attempt to open a K-12 school in Fall 2010 (withdrew application in Dec. 2009)
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
District	NYC CSD tbd on first attempt; NYC CSD 24 (Queens) on second attempt
Individuals involved	First attempt: Sinan Asa (lead): Second attempt: Furkan Kosar (lead, principal of Brooklyn Amity School, a private Gulen school), Hakan Baydere, Isseta L. Henderson, Claude Louis, Ercan Sevkat, Mehmet Ozbilgin
Notes	Applicant’s leaders failed to show up for public hearing in 2009; claimed they “weren’t aware.”

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DIGITAL ARTS & TECHNOLOGY CHARTER SCHOOL (DigiTech K-12)
Status	INACTIVE: prospectus submitted Jan. 2011 for K-12 school to open Fall 2012; did not advance
Authorizer	New York State Board of Regents
District	Buffalo City School District
Individuals involved	Tevfik Kosar (lead, involved w/Gulen charter schools in Louisiana), Kameylah Hakim, David J. Banks, Yunus Kumek (BASCS), Mikail Kar

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STATEN ISLAND FUSION CHARTER SCHOOL
Status	INACTIVE: letter of intent submitted Jan. 2011 for 7-12 school; not followed up w/proposal, or was withdrawn or deemed insufficient,
Authorizer	Charter Schools Institute of the State University of New York (SUNY)
District	NYS CSD 31 (Staten Island)
Individuals involved	Zafer Akin (lead applicant; board member of Brooklyn Amity School, a private Gulen school)
Notes	Apple Education Services listed as partner organization

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PARENT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

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SYRACUSE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Federal Tax ID	EIN  043739991
History	Founding members: Ehat Erkanli, Yildiray Yildirim, Bulent Cetinkaya, Patricia Ann Coban (married to Mustafa Coban), and Selami Tezcan.
Individuals involved	Additional names on Form 990s from 2002-2009: Ahmet Ay, Akin Ozturk, Birol Ozturk, Fehmi Damkaci, Hakki Karaman, Hasan Dalan, Huey Morgan, Linda Spencer, Mustafa Coban, Sherman Dunmore, Tolga Hayali.

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BUFFALO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
Federal Tax ID	EIN 200723492
History	“...the Science Charter School organizers, several of whose members are University at Buffalo professors.” (“State board approves 2 charter high schools.” Buffalo News, 12/12/2003
Individuals involved	Names on Form 990s from 2003-2010: Baris Civelek, Catherine Oldenburg, Erica [sic Erika] L. McLean, Ismail Unlusoy, Jack C. Anthony, Kameylah Hakim, Levent Kaya, Linda Kunz, Murat Demirbas, Mustafa Gokcek, Shigeji Fujita, Teyfik Kosar, Yunus Kumek

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ROCHESTER ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
Federal Tax ID	EIN 262041512
History	Unknown; no local news articles have yet been located
Individuals involved	Names on Form 990s from 2008-2010: Alfred Geier, Cheryl A. Sampson, Ercan Tozan, Ibrahim Unal, Mahmut Gedemenli, Marat Khafizov, William D. Middleton

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SERVICE PROVIDERS

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APPLE EDUCATION SERVICES, INC.
Federal Tax ID	EIN 203736009
Website	http://www.appleeducation.org/
Location	250 Moonachie Road, 2nd Fl. Moonachie, NJ; previously located at 545 Interstate Plaza, Carlstadt, NJ.
Services	From 2009 Form 990: “Student database software integration into school operations scheduling, guidance program, consulting, testing, professional development for teachers, these services are provided for at least ­10 public charter schools.”
Individuals involved	Names on Form 990s from 2006-2010: Mesut Sahin, Faruk Apaydin, Melih Yildirim (board members); Erdinc Karabulut (tax preparer). Advisory board members: Mesut Sahin, Raif Rustamov, Yavuz Ulusoy, Makoto Yoshida
Notes	Apple Education Services is associated with Ivy Learning (a.k.a. Ivy League Learning Center); both are SES providers. Apple’s Carlstadt address has been used by other Gulen movement-related organizations: Interfaith Dialog Center (renamed Peace Islands Institute), Helping Hands Relief Foundation, and Lotus Media Productions. Ivy Learning opened a secondary center in Brooklyn in 2012 at a site previously occupied by Brooklyn Amity School, a private Gulen school.

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TERRA SCIENCE AND EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Federal Tax ID	EIN 273215060
Website	http://www.terraed.org/
Location	1001 Park Ave., Syracuse, c/o Mustafa Coban; same address as SASCS
Services	From website: “TERRA Science and Education Foundation is a non-profit organization. Its board consists of volunteers who are scientists and educators who would like to provide educational and scientific services to K-12 schools and schools board.”
Individuals involved	From 2010 Form 990: Fehmi Damkaci (from SASCS), Murat Demirbas (from BASCS), Mahmut Gedemenli (RACS)

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See these CASILIPS pages for more evidence of affiliation:

• Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School
• Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School
• Rochester Academy Charter School

In addition, CASILIPS lists Global Sciences Charter School as a possible “stealth” attempt in NY state. http://gulencharterschools.weebly.com/proposed-gulen-charter-schools.html

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