For Immediate Release
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Contact:Heidi Guarino 781-338-3106 or JC Considine 781-338-3112

Education Commissioner Hands Out 3 New, 12 Renewed Charters

BOSTON - An existing Haverhill elementary school that will convert to a charter school and two new schools were given five-year charters on Thursday by Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Mitchell D. Chester. These charters were granted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education earlier this year. Commissioner Chester presented charters to the founders of Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter School, Dorchester Collegiate Academy Charter School, and Hampden Charter School of Science. The Commissioner also gave renewed five-year charters to 12 operational charter schools, including Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School in Roxbury, the site of Thursday's ceremony. "Charter schools offer a valuable public school option to our students, and I am excited to watch the development and growth of these three new schools," said Commissioner Chester. "We hold all of our schools to high standards, and expect charter schools to be on the cutting edge with their curriculum, and to develop promising programs and practices we can share across the Commonwealth." The three new charters are:

  • The Silver Hill Horace Mann Charter School, which will open in Haverhill in fall 2008 and enroll a maximum of 580 students in grades K-5. Currently the Silver Hill Elementary School, the new Horace Mann charter school will focus on enrichment education, and social and character education.

  • The Dorchester Collegiate Academy Charter School, which will open in Boston in fall 2009 and enroll a maximum of 240 students in grades 4-12. The school will focus on providing students from the Greater Boston area with the skills they need to successfully transition into college without requiring remediation.

  • The Hampden Charter School of Science, which will open in Chicopee, Ludlow, Springfield, or West Springfield in fall 2009. The regional school will draw a maximum of 350 students in grades 4-12 from those four communities. The school's focus will be to provide a college preparatory focused education to students and will provide an extended math and science curriculum.

The 12 schools that received renewed charters on Thursday are:
  • Abby Kelly Foster Charter Public School in Worcester (grades K-12)
  • Boston Collegiate Charter School in Dorchester (grades 5-12)
  • Boston Day and Evening Academy Charter School in Roxbury (grades 9-12)
  • Excel Academy Charter School in East Boston (grades 5-8)
  • Four Rivers Charter Public School in Greenfield (grades 7-12)
  • Foxborough Regional Charter School in Foxborough (grades K-12)
  • Health Careers Academy Charter Public School in Boston (grades 9-12)
  • Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden (grades K-12)
  • New Leadership Charter School in Springfield (grades 6-12)
  • Rising Tide Charter Public School in Plymouth (grades 5-8)
  • Smith Leadership Academy Charter Public School in Boston (grades 6-8)
  • Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis (grades 9-12)
For more information on charter schools, visit Massachusetts Charter Schools.



Last Updated: June 5, 2008



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