Residents in a Wilmington neighborhood have filed suit in Delaware's Court of Chancery to stop a charter school from opening near them this fall.
The Brandywine Neighbors Association says the Freire Charter School doesn't have enough parking to support it through planned expansions. The school will start with 8th and 9th grades with plans to add 11th and 12th grades down the line.
Freire is leasing space in former Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Delaware headquarters on West 14th Street, adjacent to the Hercules Building but tucked in the corner of the Midtown Brandywine neighborhood
Neighbors are worried that'll impact the availability of on-street parking. They say Freire hasn't yet built enough private parking to stay up to code when the higher grades are added.
The lawsuit says the city shouldn't let Freire move forward without proof that the parking will be built. The city and the owners of the Freire properties are also listed as defendants.
The school is slated to open in September. The neighbors' lawsuit requests an injunction to stop that from happening.
Freire was placed on probation by the Department of Education and State Board of Education last month for failing to meet enrollment benchmarks in its charter. The school will have to submit reports to state officials during the coming year to show it has addressed that issue and remains financial viable.
