The Maine Charter School Commission voted to approve two additional charter schools, which could begin serving students in the fall of 2016.
AUGUSTA – The Maine Charter School Commission approved the applications of two additional public charter schools.
The November 17 approval authorizes the independent Commission to enter into contract negotiations with Acadia Academy and Snow Pond Arts Academy. Acadia Academy plans to serve 112 students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through grade two in the Lewiston/Auburn area. Snow Pond Arts Academy would be Maine’s first charter school to offer a blended (hybrid) model of education combining academics with a focus on the arts. Snow Pond Academy plans to start serving as many as 124 students from the Central Maine area. Both public charter schools will be opening this fall pending contract negotiations.
This expansion of quality public learning opportunities increases the accessibility of educational choices to students from every community in Maine; any Maine student is eligible to attend one of Maine’s public charter schools. Maine public charter schools, with traditional public schools, offer quality educational options for students.
In 2011, Governor LePage signed legislation making Maine the 41st state to allow public charter schools and establishing the seven-member Commission as an authorizer of up to ten charter schools through June 30, 2022. Local school boards can additionally authorize public charter schools.
Currently, there are seven charter schools serving approximately 1,500 Maine students including Cornville Regional Charter School, the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley, Baxter Academy for Technology and Science in Portland, Fiddlehead School of Arts and Science in Gray, Harpswell Coastal Academy in Harpswell, Maine Connections Academy (a statewide virtual school), and Maine Virtual Academy (also a statewide virtual school). Acadia Academy in Lewiston and Snow Pond Academy in Sidney would increase the number of approved public charter schools to nine, leaving room for one more charter school authorized by the Commission.
For more information about the Maine Charter School Commission or to see the approved applications, visit www.maine.gov/csc or call Maine Charter School Commission Executive Director, Bob Kautz at 592-8352.
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