DECATUR - The relationship between Robertson Charter School and the Decatur School District has improved greatly over the last year.

The charter school's CEO, Bishop G.E. Livingston, and its principal, Cordell Ingram, gave their annual report to the school board at its Tuesday meeting, and the news was good.

Livingston stressed that Robertson is a Decatur public school and in partnership with the district.

"Charter schools are public schools of choice," he said. "I believe our partnership with District 61 has improved in the last year."

The charter school's balance sheet, he said, shows assets of

$1.4 million and liabilities of $500,000, putting the charter school solidly in the black. The income in fiscal year 2009, which ended June 30, was $2.2 million, with expenditures of $2.1 million.

An expansion project is under way, adding a full-size gym, library and four classrooms to the building on Geddes Avenue, including a state-of-the-art science lab, he said. Because charter schools don't receive facility funding, the school has put aside money over the past few years to pay for the expansion, which should be finished by March.

Robertson has a low turnover, with two of the original four teachers still on staff, and 170 students on its waiting list. The administrators support employee education goals, and Livingston specifically mentioned Nikki Allen, who began at the school as a substitute, then as a teaching assistant, moved to a teaching position without traditional certification and has now completed her master's degree in education administration. She currently is assistant principal.

Livingston also mentioned his recent attendance at the National Charter School convention.

"I had a meeting with the chancellor of the New York City School District," he said. "Out of 4,000 (charter) schools in America, he chose us as one of the 20 that he was impressed with and wanted to know how could we partner with them to help the New York City schools. We thought that was phenomenal out of 4,000 he selected us as one of 20."

Ingram highlighted academic achievements of Robertson. The school made adequate yearly progress in 2009, he said.

Out of 150 students tested, 121 met standards in at least one of the two core areas of reading and math, and of those 121, 103 students met expectations in reading and math. He invited the board members to visit the school any time.

"Don't do the announced visit thing," he said. "We always get compliments from visitors and parents who come in because our kids are usually doing the right thing."

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