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The Department has moved to 135 Santilli Highway in Everett. The Department's office and Licensure Welcome Center are open. The new location has free parking and is a short walk from the Wellington station on the MBTA's Orange Line.
Massachusetts Charter Schools

Types of Charter School Reports

The following documents are public records and are available for each Massachusetts charter school upon request.

  • Final Charter School Application
  • Annual Reports
  • Site Visit Reports
  • Renewal Inspection Reports
  • Summaries of Review (at Renewal)
  • Annual Financial Audits

Due to the sheer volume of documents, limited web server space, and the Department's commitment to achieving meaningful accessibility to this online environment for all users, but most particularly for users with disabilities (we follow specific Commonwealth Enterprise Standards designed to meet the needs of our citizens with disabilities), we cannot post this volume of documents on our webpage. Please send an email to charterschools@mass.gov to request a particular document for a particular school and we will respond promptly. Thank you.

Schools Operating under Conditions or Probation

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) or Commissioner may impose conditions on a school's charter for violations of law or failure to make progress with student achievement, failure to adhere to and enhance its recruitment and retention plan, failure to comply with the terms of its charter, or failure to remain viable (603 CMR 1.12(1)). The Board may place a charter school on probation if in its judgment the imposition of a condition alone would be insufficient to remediate the problem. The Board may impose conditions on the school's charter that require the school to address specific areas of concern. Placing a school on probation signals concern about the school's viability and permits the Board to suspend a school's charter immediately if the school fails to remedy the causes of its probation. The Department may require a charter school on probation to establish an escrow account in an amount determined by the Department in consultation with the charter school to pay for closing, legal, and audit expenses associated with closure should that occur (603 CMR 1.12(2)).

The following schools are currently operating under conditions or probation. Below, please find memoranda that outline the justification for and provide the specifics of the conditions or probation for each school.

Charter School Closures

Charter schools may cease operation for a variety of reasons. The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) may vote its intent to non-renew, revoke, or suspend the charter of a charter school; a charter school's board of trustees (board) may vote to voluntarily surrender its charter; or a board may not file an application for renewal of a public charter. In the case of Commonwealth charter schools, upon expiration, non-renewal, surrender, or revocation of the charter, the school closes permanently. In the case of Horace Mann charter schools, while the charter may cease to exist, the District may continue operation of the school, but without charter status. The Charter School Factsheet lists charter schools that have closed since 1995.

For information on the closing obligations of charter schools, see Charter School Closing Procedures.

Last Updated: February 29, 2024

 
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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149

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