New York’s charter school wars have spilled back into court, with the city’s teachers union asking a state judge to tear up a controversial deal in the South Bronx.
On June 16, the United Federation of Teachers filed a lawsuit seeking to undo a State University of New York Charter Schools Institute decision that shifted a Success Academy elementary charter in the Bronx to a new school run by Eric Grannis, the husband of Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz. The union argues the move was unlawful and hands a public-school license to a closely aligned operator while sidestepping protections meant to shield district schools.
The lawsuit asks the court to nullify SUNY’s approval of the license transfer, according to New York Daily News. The filing contends SUNY stepped outside its legal authority by allowing Success Academy to pass a limited operating license to a separate corporation tied to Moskowitz’s charter network.
What the filing contends
The complaint and application materials say the new school, Strive, would function as its own education corporation while using Success Academy’s academic program and curriculum. Chalkbeat reported in January that SUNY trustees signed off on the charter revision last fall and that Strive would move into a renovated Mott Haven building, operating with Success-aligned programming.
Regents return and the statewide cap
The state Board of Regents pushed back earlier this year, voting in January to send the transfer proposal to SUNY for another look over concerns it could sidestep the statewide cap on charter schools. Meeting notes from the New York State Education Department list “Success Academy Charter School – Bronx 5 Lower” among the items returned for reconsideration.
The statewide ceiling on charter schools remains set at 460, according to New York State Education Department data, which provide the official cap and context.
Strive's extended-day pitch
Strive’s pitch to families is aggressive: optional programming from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, all year long. The plan frames the school as both an academic hub and a child-care lifeline, especially for parents juggling long or irregular work hours.
Strive expects to open in the coming school year in the former Success Academy space, with founders saying there is strong demand for seats, according to the Bronx Times, which covered the rollout and community response.
Union reaction and central claim
UFT President Michael Mulgrew has blasted the transfer as a maneuver that would “drain resources” from district public schools. The union is backing the court challenge to stop the handoff, New York Daily News reported.
The lawsuit asks the judge to vacate SUNY’s approval and to bar Strive from operating under the transferred license while the legal fight unfolds.
What authorizers say
SUNY, for its part, has held up the transfer as the kind of charter “innovation” its authorizing office likes to foster. In earlier coverage, the SUNY Charter Schools Institute said it was “aware of the Board of Regents’ action” and would “review it and consider the appropriate next steps,” according to Chalkbeat. The institute had not issued an immediate response to the new lawsuit when this story was published.
Next stop is the courtroom, where a judge will decide whether SUNY went too far and whether the Strive transfer stands. We will track new filings, hearing dates, and official responses as the litigation moves forward.
