Hey, what are they doing back in school?

Students at the Manhattan Charter School on the Lower East Side returned to class on Mon., Aug. 25 — over a week before traditional public schools, which open Tues., Sept. 2. They were greeted by their enthusiastic principal, Genie DePolo. In the first of our two Back to School sections, we take a look at some of Downtown’s charter schools, pages 22 –24.