The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, Grove Hall Preparatory Charter School, and Dorchester Preparatory Charter School - Consolidation
In September 2011, as required by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board), the board of trustees of Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, Grove Hall Preparatory Charter School, and Dorchester Preparatory Charter School submitted an amendment request to consolidate all three schools under a single charter. If granted, this request permits the board of trustees to operate three middle schools and one high school. It further will allow all students at the middle schools to attend the high school. I recommend that the Board approve this request.
On February 28, 2011, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to amend the original Roxbury Preparatory Charter School charter to increase maximum enrollment by 300 students (from 300 to 600) and to expand the grades served from 6-8 to 5-12. The Board also voted to grant two additional charters, Grove Hall Preparatory Charter School (with 600 students, grades 5-12) and Dorchester Preparatory Charter School (with 600 students, grades 5-12) to the existing school's board of trustees.
These three 5-12 schools of 600 students each would result in a model comprised of three neighborhood-based middle school campuses, each with 300 students in grades 5-8, preparing students to attend a unified 900-student high school with sufficient size to offer a comprehensive range of services and academic offerings. The existing Roxbury Preparatory Charter School's strong performance, together with its proposed partnership with Uncommon Schools, an experienced charter development organization with direct experience with this model and these grade spans, qualified for proven provider status. This partnership also provided the organizational capacity for such a major expansion.
The Board granted these charters, and approved the major amendment, explicitly conditioned upon "the board of trustees of the schools return[ing] to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education no later than September 2011 to seek an amendment to consolidate the charters; provided that not less than 250 students shall be enrolled at the start of 9th grade; and provided that, in accordance with section 9 of chapter 12 of the Acts of 2010, the Commissioner may limit the schools' actual enrollment in fiscal years 2012 through 2016 to an amount less than the maximum enrollment approved herein."
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has reviewed this request and it appears reasonable and consistent with the charter school statute and regulations, and addresses additional criteria as outlined in the technical advisory on amendments. I recommend approval of the consolidation request from the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, Dorchester Preparatory Charter School, and Grove Hall Preparatory Charter School to consolidate these schools under the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School's charter.
Attachments:
Correspondence from Roxbury Preparatory Charter School
Motion for Board action on Roxbury Preparatory Charter School