The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) has released a tentative schedule for discussion and vote on charter school actions. These include renewal of individual charters, requests for expansion, reporting on conditions and probationary status.

The full document can be downloaded from the September 2017 BESE meeting documents.

Tentative Schedule of Charter School Items
September 2017 through June 2018

Note:   All items are tentatively scheduled and may be adjusted within the schedule as needed. Some items may not come before the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) for discussion and vote because the Board has previously delegated authority to the Commissioner or because the Commissioner may not recommend granting a school’s request.

September 26, 2017

  • Charter Authorizing Overview

October 24, 2017

November 28, 2017

December 19, 2017

  • Amendment of Charter
  • Veritas Preparatory Charter School
  • Renewal Decisions or Recommendations
  • Boston Collegiate Charter School; Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann Charter Public School; Four Rivers Charter Public School; Foxborough Regional Charter School

January 23, 2018

  • Amendments of Charters
    • Holyoke Community Charter School; Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School
  • Waiver of Regulations Request
    • Bentley Academy Charter School (Horace Mann)
  • Reports on Conditions
    • Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School; Barnstable Community Horace Mann Charter Public School
  • Renewal Decisions or Recommendations
  • Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School; Baystate Academy Charter Public School; Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School (Horace Mann); Mystic Valley Regional Charter School; Sturgis Charter Public School; UP Academy Charter School of Dorchester (Horace Mann)
  • Report on Renewal Decisions by the Commissioner

February 27, 2018

  • New Charter Schools Granted
  • Amendment of Charter
    • KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School
  • Report on Conditions and Renewal Decision or Recommendation
    • Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School
  • Renewal Decisions or Recommendations
  • City on a Hill Charter Public School Dudley Square; Collegiate Charter School of Lowell; Excel Academy Charter School; Helen Y. Davis Leadership Academy Charter Public School; Pioneer Charter School of Science II; Rising Tide Charter Public School
  • Report on Renewal Decisions by the Commissioner

March 27, 2018

  • Report on Conditions
    • Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School
  • Report on Renewal Decisions by the Commissioner

 April 24, 2018

  • Report on Conditions
    • Codman Academy Charter Public School

May 22, 2018

  • Report on Probation
    • Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School of Excellence

June 26, 2018

 

Charter Amendment Requests Pending Board Action

(Grades, or Maximum Enrollment, or Change to Charter Region)

Pursuant to the Charter School Regulations, 603 CMR 1.10(1), the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) must approve certain changes in the material terms of a school’s charter. This year (2017-2018), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) received requests from four existing charter schools that involve changes to the grades served, the maximum enrollment allowed, or the charter region. If Board members wish to request a copy of any of the submitted amendment requests or have any questions, please contact charterschools@doe.mass.edu.

Section 1.10 of 603 CMR contains several criteria that the Commissioner and the Board may consider in reaching a determination regarding a school’s request to amend its charter. First, “the Commissioner and the Board may consider a charter school’s compliance with applicable state, federal, and local law.” Second, the Commissioner and the Board may consider the evidence regarding the success of the school’s academic program, the viability of the school as an organization, and the faithfulness of the school to the terms of its charter. Third, if seeking an increase in maximum enrollment in certain districts, the board of trustees must qualify as a “proven provider” based on the existing school and meet the performance criteria described in 603 CMR 1.04(4). Fourth, schools must address additional criteria as outlined in the Department’s guidelines on amendments.

We currently anticipate bringing these matters to the Board for consideration no earlier than its meeting scheduled for December 19, 2017, and anticipate completing the process by its meeting scheduled for March 28, 2018. Updates may be found on the Department’s website at Board Meeting Schedule and Agendas.

The Department solicits comments from the superintendents in the school districts within each charter school’s current/proposed district or region. Members of the public may submit written comments regarding a school’s amendment request to: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, c/o Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign, 75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148 or by email to charterschools@doe.mass.edu.

Name of Charter School Current District or Region Current Grade Span Current Maximum Enrollment Proposed Amendment to Charter
Holyoke Community Charter School Holyoke K-8 702  

Add grades 9-12; add Chicopee, South Hadley, and West Springfield to charter region; and increase enrollment by 439 seats

Name of Charter School Current District or Region Current Grade Span Current Maximum Enrollment Proposed Amendment to Charter
KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School Lynn K-12 1,586 Increase enrollment by 1,014 seats
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School Agawam, Amherst, Amherst-Pelham, Belchertown, Chesterfield-Goshen, Chicopee, Conway, Deerfield, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Frontier, Gill-Montague, Granby, Granville, Greenfield, Hadley, Hampden-Wilbraham, Hampshire, Hatfield, Hawlemont, Holyoke, Leverett, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Mohawk Trail, Northampton, Pelham, Pioneer Valley, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Springfield, Sunderland, West Springfield, Westfield, Westhampton, Whately, Williamsburg, Southwick-Tolland K-12 584 Increase enrollment by 452 seats
Veritas Preparatory Charter School Springfield 5-8 324 Increase enrollment by 108 seats

FY18 Applications for Renewal of Charters

This winter, the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education (Commissioner) will make recommendations to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) regarding the renewal of the charters for 17 schools, as indicated below in the table. The Department has solicited comments from the superintendents in the school districts within each charter school’s current district or region. For more information, please see http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=24501.

Consistent with the charter school regulations, evidence regarding the success of the school’s academic program, the viability of the school as an organization, and the faithfulness of the school to the terms of its charter guides review of a school’s application for renewal. The Commissioner’s recommendations consider each school’s performance at the time of the charter renewal as well as the progress it has made during the past four years of operation. The evaluation includes a review of evidence such as the school’s academic performance, and assessments conducted by the Department.

We currently anticipate bringing these matters to the Board for consideration no earlier than its meeting scheduled for December 19, 2017, and anticipate completing the process by its meeting scheduled for February 27, 2018. Updates may be found on the Department’s website at http://www.doe.mass.edu/bese/boedate.html.

 

Charter School Name Current District or Region Maximum Enrollment Grade Span in Charter  

Current Grade Span 

Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School Auburn, Holden, Leicester, Millbury, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Sutton, West Boylston, Worcester 1,426 K-12 K-12
Baystate Academy Charter Public School Springfield

 

560 6-12 6-11
Boston Collegiate Charter School Boston 700 5-12 5-12
Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School (Horace Mann) Boston 405 9-12 9-12
City on a Hill Charter Public School Dudley Square Boston 280 9-12 9-12
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell Lowell 1,200 K-12 K-7
Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann Charter School Boston 448 9-12 9-12
Charter School Name Current District or Region Maximum Enrollment Grade Span in Charter Current Grade Span
Excel Academy Charter School Boston, Chelsea 1,344 5-12 5-11
Four Rivers Charter Public School Frontier, Gill-Montague, Greenfield, Mohawk Trail, Pioneer Valley, Ralph C. Mahar Regional 220 7-12 7-12
Foxborough Regional Charter School Attleboro, Avon, Brockton, Canton, Easton, Foxborough, Mansfield, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Norton, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Stoughton, Walpole, West Bridgewater, Wrentham 1,700 K-12 K-12
Helen Y. Davis Leadership Academy Charter Public School Boston 216 6-8 6-8
Mystic Valley Regional Charter School Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Stoneham, Wakefield 1,900 K-12 K-12
Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School Holyoke, West Springfield, Chicopee, Westfield, South Hadley, Northampton 500 9-12 9-12
Pioneer Charter School of Science II Danvers, Lynn, Peabody, Salem, Saugus 360 7-12 7-12
Rising Tide Charter Public School Barnstable, Bourne, Carver, Duxbury, Falmouth, Lakeville, Marshfield, Mashpee, Middleborough, Old Rochester, Pembroke, Plymouth, Sandwich, Silver Lake, Wareham 700 5-12 5-12
Sturgis Charter Public School Barnstable, Bourne, Carver, Dennis-Yarmouth, Falmouth, Mashpee, Monomoy, Nauset, Plymouth, Provincetown, Sandwich, and Wareham 850 9-12 9-12
UP Academy Charter School of Dorchester Boston 820 PK-8 PK-8

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