Three 6-12 schools already exist in Brooklyn's District 15 -- The Secondary Schools for Law, Journalism and Social Research, in the old John Jay High School building -- to mixed reviews, but the DOE has approved a new secondary charter, the Brooklyn Prospect Charter School, to open in September 2009. It will be District 15's first charter school at any level and only the second secondary charter school in the city. Admission is by lottery, with priority to District 15.

Information sessions are planned for October 6 and 27 from 6-8 p.m. at Methodist Hospitalin Park Slope. Tours are moot: There's no actual site for the school just yet. Executive director and co-founder Dan Rubenstein says that he's hoping for a site within walking distance of BAM, their community partner, although he expects the school will incubate in one site in the short term before being assigned its own building.

Led by Rubenstein and Luyen Chou (a founder of the fabled School at Columbia University, ed-tech wizard, and former Daltonfaculty member), the new charter will open with 88 students in four sixth-grade classes and grow with a new grade every year. Rubenstein, who describes himself as "a teacher first and a school leader second," says all Brooklyn Prospect teachers will be certified but will not be bound by union contracts, as is common among charters since they often require longer hours and other work not permitted by UFT regulations.

No building seems to be no problem for interested parents. Applications are being accepted for the coming year; to learn more or RSVP for an info session, visit the school's website.