The Maine Charter School Commission has received applications from two entities proposing a new public charter school opening in the fall of 2020. There are 9 public charter schools operating in the state of Maine. Current law allows for a maximum of 10.
Applications were received for:
- Ecology Learning Center, located in Montville. will serve grades 9-12 with a target population of high school-aged youth seeking experiential, community-based learning. The catchment area of the school will be Waldo County.
- Sheffwood Academy, located in Topsham, will serve grades 6-12 with a target population of students with a passion for the arts and/or technology. The catchment area of the school will be a 20-mile radius around Topsham.
At its August 6, 2019 Business Meeting, the Maine Charter School Commission determined whether the application(s) appear to demonstrate the applicant’s competence in each element of the Commission’s published approval criteria and appears to demonstrate that the applicant is likely to open and operate a successful public charter school in the state of Maine. The Maine Charter School Commission denied the application for Sheffwood Academy, with no further action recommended. The Maine Charter School Commission has moved the Ecology Learning Center application forward, and a public hearing will be held on August 7th for the Ecology Learning Center from 4:00pm-6:00pm in the Washington/York Room of the Augusta Civic Center. The purpose of the hearing is to elicit public comment on the expected impact of the proposed charter school on students, parents, the community to be served by the school, and public education in the State. It’s important to note that if a school is approved for a charter, all students in the state of Maine are welcome to enroll.
If you are unable to attend a public hearing in person, written comments will be accepted through 5:00pm on Friday, August 23rd. Written comments can be mailed to the Maine Charter School Commission at 182 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333 or emailed to mcsc@maine.gov.
Information will be provided on the Commission’s website http://www.maine.gov/csc.