Charter school aggressively pursuing many grants Financial help sought from foundations, gov’t and corporations BY SANDI CARPELLO Staff Writer RED BANK — When she envisions the future of the Red Bank Charter School, Principal Meredith Pennotti sees gourmet cafeteria lunches, a 12-month school year, and a grant-funded student symphony orchestra. In an effort to turn her dreams into reality, Pennotti along with charter school parent and volunteer Deb Stasi and other community members have been aggressively seeking more than half a million dollars in federal and independent funding. "Whether we get the money or not, we plan to do these things," Pennotti said. "We have set a strategic plan. It just may take longer if we don’t get the funding." While they have recently received a $30,000 grant to outfit a computer lab in their future Century House facility, charter school officials are seeking roughly 10 additional grants, including a $160,000 Geraldine Dodge Grant for their eight-week summer institute, a $150,000 federally funded Special Education Grant to enhance the educational needs of the charter school’s 26 special-needs students, and a $300,000 National Endowment of Humanities Grant that would fund a landmark program that combines visual arts, music and drama. "One of our goals is to have a student orchestra. We need the resources to buy instruments," Pennotti said. A $20,000 grant from Starbucks and a $25,000 Mary Owen Borden Award to outfit a technology laboratory also are being sought. In addition, a task force made up of school officials, parents and local restaurateurs is hoping to receive a nutritional grant sponsored by actor and salad dressing guru Paul Newman. If the school receives the grant, kindergarten through eighth-graders will dine daily on a gourmet lunch, while sitting on strategically set tables with linen tablecloths. "We want them to have a cultural experience at lunch," Stasi said. "Not only will they sit on tables with linens, each class will be asked to come up with a different theme [on different days]. For instance if the theme is Greece, they’ll eat Greek food and decorate the cafeteria with Greek art." No matter what course or how successful the charter school is in its pursuit of grants, Pennotti said any money the school receives would not aid in the stabilization or lowering of borough school taxes. "The charter school has no input in the school budget. We can’t save them or cost them," Pennotti said. "If we could [save the district money], we would."