Despite Chelsea's difficulties keeping up funding, Carleton says that the programs will continue. Chelsea has received five million dollars in philanthropic grants and two million directly from the university, but day-to-day money for the project comes from Chelsea's own budget and state funds.

"Our services are pro bono as long as the city maintains the level of funding each year," Carleton says. "The programs are paid by philanthropic grants, but the city has had to cut funding each year, which has technically broken our contract."

But Vega and others say they are skeptical of B.U.'s altruism.

"The contract may be non-profit in the financial sense, but B.U. has gained profit in publicity," Vega says. "This program is known nation-wide."

Lorraine Ruby, an art teacher at Chelsea High and the executive vice-president in the Massachusetts Federation of Teachers, agrees.

"Turning over public money to a private corporation is a trend toward the downfall of democracy," says Ruby, who is part of the Chelsea Teacher's Union's lawsuit against the school committee. "B.U. is reaping benefits, using the public's pocket to fund its own programs."

But a great deal of the program's fame does derive from its successes. Clemente points to other changes, including a 20 percent raise in teacher salaries, a proposition in legislature for funding to rebuild many of the school buildings and the establishment of two annual scholarships to B.U. for Chelsea students.

B.U. has also aided the school's newspaper, student government, and computer literacy courses. Other projects encourage university staff and student volunteers to tutor and perform other educational work in Chelsea. "I spend a lot of time working in Chelsea," Clemente says.

Chelsea High School senior Regina Stec says the arrival of B.U. tutors has been a two-way street. "They are learning to teach in a place with all the challenges," Stec said. "It's given us a new outlook on things."

Stec says a number of B.U.-initiated programs have encouraged students to learn. The Academy for Educators program allows students interested in becoming teachers a chance to teach in the classroom. Another addition is a night program for students who have dropped out of school and want to return.

But the improvements don't end at the high school. "We started a pre-school program in 1989 to prepare them for kindergarten," Carleton says. "This year the program is available to any child in Chelsea who needs or wants it."

Yet another program involves working with the parents of students. "We are teaching adults how to read so that parents in turn will read to their children," Carleton says.

Despite all the new programs, Amy Ringer, a Chelsea senior, criticizes B.U.'s focus on early learning programs over changes at the higher education levels. "They should be making improvements at both ends so that we can meet in the middle," Ringer says.

And Ringer says that while she would encourage similar models of reform for other struggling school systems, there is a lack of any real means for students to voice their complaints and suggestions. "There is no one [from B.U.] in the school to talk to who has real power," she says.

The students blame the media for Chelsea's negative image in surrounding communities, but agree the university is helping to improve the city's reputation.