Approved Charter Schools
| School | Academy for Science and Design Charter School 316 Daniel Webster Highway Merrimack, NH 03054 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: March 14, 2006 |
| Description | The Academy for Science and Design Charter School is geared toward 450 students in grades 7-12 who are interested in pursuing careers in the math and sciences. Students in their junior and senior years will be able to major in a subject as they would in college. Among the choices: aeronautics and aviation, chemistry and biomedicine, and space, astronomy, and astronautics. |
| Contact | Jennifer Cava, Director (603) 262-9162, Fax (603) 262-9163, jennifer.cava@asdnh.org info@asdnh.org |
| School | Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy 1 Washington Center, Suite 555 Dover, NH 03820 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: May 19, 2004 |
| Description | Arts and Technology, Grades 9-12 The mission of Cocheco Arts and technology Academy is to provide excellence in secondary education in fundamental academics and performing arts, fine arts and technology related to the arts creating an educational community where each student thrives, exploring personal interests in an atmosphere that encompasses different learning styles, individual learning opportunities, smaller class sizes and multiple methods of learning assessments. |
| Contact | Christy Holmes (603) 742-0700; (888) 544-3339 Fax (603) 742-7207 cholmes@cochecoarts.org |
| School | CSI Charter School |
| Status | State Approved Charter: March 1, 2007 |
| Description | The CSI Charter School serves high school students who are disengaged, have dropped out or have experienced life changing events who would benefit from an individualized program that meets their needs. The CSI Charter School uses academic competencies and work-based skills as the entry point for developing an individualized plan for each student which meets essential academic and work place competencies. Technology and integrated units help promote student interest, meet high academic standards and provide authentic opportunities to demonstrate competency. Students who meet the academic standards have shown an ability to transition to post secondary education or a work based setting. CSI Charter School is small, interest centered and is well supported by technology and project based learning. |
| Contact | Jim Gorman, Administrator (603) 753-0194 Fax (603) 753-6429 jgorman@mv.k12.nh.us |
| School | Great Bay eLearning Charter School 30 Linden Street Exeter, NH 03833 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: February 18, 2004 |
| Description | Under-served students, Grades 8-12
The Great Bay eLearning Charter School (GBeCS) provides an alternative approach for educating students in grades eight through twelve by emphasizing project-based learning in a smaller, flexible, supportive learning environment. A strong emphasis on writing across the curriculum and deliberate interdisciplinary connections among curriculum areas allow students to make logical connections and transfer knowledge among disciplines. The school utilizes a strong faculty advisory program to ensure that all students have a significant adult monitoring their progress in addition to their teachers. While some “on-line” or web-based learning programs are utilized to supplement the core class experience, the school emphasizes an active classroom-based environment, a strong school community, and connections of students with their school through meaningful interactions among students and between students and their teachers. |
| Contact | Cheryl McDonough or Peter Stackhouse (603) 775-8638 Fax (603) 775-8528 cmcdonough@gbecs.org, pstackhouse@gbecs.org |
| School | Ledyard Charter School 11 Eldridge Street, PO Box 327 Lebanon, NH 03766 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: March 14, 2007 |
| Description | To serve under-performing and/or disengaged students in grades 9 - 12
Ledyard Charter School will prepare students for their futures, both academically and socially, in a rigorous academic program that stresses the importance of community and allows students to apply their learning in context. Ledyard will provide opportunities for under-engaged students to re-focus on their strengths and interests and will provide highly motivating and relevant learning opportunities, much of which will be based in service learning in the community, internships, and a strong academic core. The Charter School takes its name from John Ledyard, a curious and self-motivated Dartmouth College student who arrived at Dartmouth College in the Spring of 1772. He spent four summer months living (and learning) among the Iroquois as a college ambassador and became dissatisfied by the constraining academic offerings at Dartmouth upon his return to the college. He built his own canoe and paddled the length of the Connecticut River. He became an acclaimed world traveler, explorer, and a lifelong hands-on learner. |
| Contact | Lynne Grigelevich, Administrator (603) 727-4772 execdirectorlcs@gmail.com |
| School | Making Community Connections (MC²) Charter School |
| Status | State Approved Charter: March 9, 2011 |
| Description | Proposed grade levels 9-12 |
| Contact | Kim Carter, Project Director |
| School | Mill Falls Charter School 36 Salmon Street Manchester, NH 03104 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: March 9, 2011 |
| Description | Mill Falls Charter School is New Hampshire’s first Public Montessori School. It launches in September 2012 beginning with grades K-3, and by year four, plans to offer a full elementary program for children grades K-6. Located in Manchester, Mill Falls brings together children of all backgrounds and learning styles in mixed-age classrooms that merge the Common Core Curriculum with the individualized and academically integrated Montessori approach. Students’ emotional and social growth is cultivated along-side their academic achievement in an inclusive and diverse public school setting. |
| Contact | Meryl Levin, Project Director Phone # - pending Info@MillFallsCharterSchool.org |
| School | North Country Charter Academy 260 Cottage Street, Suite A Littleton, NH 03561 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: January 21, 2004 |
| Description | Littleton & Lancaster Designed to provide a learning environment for students who would benefit from a non-traditional high school setting. Students who are, or may be, at risk of dropping out will be provided an educational setting in which they can succeed in their pursuit of a high school diploma. NCCA serves students in grades 7-12 and enrolls up to 60 students in two centers divided into morning and afternoon sessions. Each session consists of two teachers with a maximum of 15 students. While the credits that are needed will be earned, student’s learning activities do not reflect a traditional school syllabus but are structured and competency based at an 80% completion rate while still focusing on individualization based on the student’s academic level. Students also participate in an organized Extended Learning Opportunity activity. |
| Contact | Lisa Lavoie (603) 444-1535 Fax (603) 444-9843 llavoie@nccharteracademy.org |
| School | PACE Career Academy Charter School |
| Status | State Approved Charter: December 8, 2010 |
| Description | The SAU #53 Alternative High School will provide struggling high school students with an alternative pathway to completing their high school diploma while providing a bridge to their adult lives and is intended as an alternative program to help improve the graduation rate. |
| Contact | Edith Allyn, Director |
| School | Polaris Charter School |
| Status | State Approved Charter: October 12, 2011 |
| Description | Polaris Charter School, located in the Greater Manchester Area, will open in September 2012 for intellectually curious children from five to eleven years old. Students will be placed in multi-age classrooms designed to foster a joyful and exciting learning community. Program highlights include an inquiry-based, project-oriented and inter-disciplinary curriculum. Polaris students will develop the ability to communicate effectively, work collaboratively, think critically, and excel academically. The combination of personal learning plans, the development of social and emotional skills and a "move-on-when-ready" approach will instill a positive attitude about future studies and ensure Polaris students are well-prepared for the challenges of an ever-changing world. |
| Contact | Jennifer Minicucci, Chair Jill Cane, Ed.D. |
| School | Robert Frost Charter School |
| Status | State Approved Charter: October 12, 2011 |
| Description | The first phase of the Robert Frost School will begin with an elementary classroom of mixed ages (grades 1- 3) and to gradually add additional lower elementary classrooms as well as upper elementary and junior high classrooms (grades 4-6 and 7-8). We will also add kindergarten in the second year after the School is established. The Robert Frost Charter School will create an alternative approach for a high quality public education for the families of Conway, NH and the surrounding areas delivered through the a combination of the Montessori tradition and Project-Based Learning. |
| Contact | Jennifer Karnopp Ellen Ohlenbusch |
| School | Seacoast Charter School 13 Church Street Kingston, NH 03848 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: August 20, 2003 |
| Description | Core Curriculum and the Arts, Grades 1-6
The mission of Seacoast Charter School is to provide excellence in core academics and the arts while cultivating the individual qualities and strengths of each child. An upper elementary charter school in the Exeter NH area serving grades 3-6 beginning with grades 3 and 4 and increasing one grade each year to approximately 130 students (6 classrooms) by the fifth year of operation. |
| Contact | Roberta Mantione |
| School | Strong Foundations Charter School 715 Riverwood Drive Pembroke, NH 03275 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: March 14, 2006 |
| Description | Strong Foundations Chartered Public School (SFCS) serves grades K through 8. A rich, challenging curriculum and a focus on early literacy using the Orton-Gillingham approach define the academic curriculum at SFCS. Technology is integrated into the day at Strong Foundations. Students have access to 1:1 computing using iPads for research, word processing, and skills practice. Student-safe internet filters and a powerful network create a school-friendly internet environment. Every classroom has a projection system that teachers can use for whole-group instruction. The cornerstone of Strong Foundations’ approach to building reading decoding skills is the Orton-Gillingham approach. Once thought to be limited to a specialized segment of the student population, its effectiveness has been demonstrated across all student populations. Orton-Gillingham (O.G.) promotes direct instruction in the structure of the English language for reading and spelling. At the early levels, teachers use O.G. to teach basic sound-symbol relationships of English. At more advanced levels, students are taught morphology, including prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots as well as all the spelling rules. |
| Contact | Beth McClure (603) 225-2715 Fax (603) 225-2738 bmcclure@sfnh.org |
| School | Surry Village Charter School 449 Route 12A Surry, NH 03431-8106 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: March 14, 2006 |
| Description | Surry Village Charter School is an elementary charter school serving grades K – 8 in the Monadnock Region of New Hampshire. The mission of Surry Village Charter School (SVCS) is to provide a challenging and rigorous education for children in an environment that emphasizes creativity, collaboration, community, diversity, service, and leadership. Students will be academically and socially prepared to meet the demands of further education while maturing into productive and caring adults with a lifelong passion for learning. Children learn the basics of reading, writing and math and experience science and social studies through projects that emphasize everyday skills such as cooking, canning, knitting, gardening, and woodworking. Music and the arts is integrated into the curriculum. SVCS seeks to foster the development of individuals and their connection to communities of the school, the region, the world, and the natural environment. This is achieved through the development and implementation of a social curriculum, project-based learning, place/community-based learning and practical arts. |
| Contact | Dr. Matora Fiorey (603) 357-9700 Fax: (603) 357-9701 matora@surryvillagecharterschool.org |
| School | TEAMS Charter School |
| Status | State Approved Charter: June 8, 2011 |
| Description | The mission of this charter school is to expand opportunities for all students especially those who face the perception of bleak prospects because of where they live. TEAMS will offer a sound college prep program with a career focus and emphasis on technology, mathematics, science and engineering. Grade level to be serviced upon opening 11-12 with expansion to grade 9-10 in subsequent years. |
| Contact(s) | Christine Barry |
| School | The Birches Academy of Academics & Art: A Public Charter School |
| Status | State Approved Charter: January 18, 2012 Charter is scheduled to open in the fall of 2012 |
| Description | The mission of The Birches Academy is to provide a learning community that supports excellence in core academics and the arts while cultivating the individual qualities and strengths of each child. The Birches Academy will open with 4 multiaged classrooms in grades 1-8. Expansion into kindergarten and additional classrooms will be added in future years. |
| Contact(s) | Christie Storniolo tbd information@birchesacademy.org |
| School | Virtual Learning Academy Charter School 30 Linden Street Exeter, NH 03833 |
| Status | State Approved Charter: May 9, 2007 |
| Description | The Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS) uses new and emerging distance learning technologies to provide any time any where access to a rigorous personalized education that helps students learn today, graduate tomorrow, and prepare for the future. The educational mission of VLACS integrates the philosophy of the New Hampshire Department of Education's Follow the Child initiative with the power of distance learning technologies. The VLACS will be able to meet the needs of a wide variety of students and foster 21st century skills such as global awareness, self-directed learning skills, information and communications technology literacy, problem-solving skills, time management, and personal responsibility. The flexible scheduling of VLACS courses will meet the needs of non-traditional students as they design alternative learning plans to meet their unique needs. The school offers programming to both full-time and part-time students. |
| Contact(s) | Kyle Cote - kcote@vlacs.org Ollire Lane-Wortley - olanewortley@vlacs.org Scott Prescott - sprescott3@vlacs.org (603) 778-2500 Fax (866) 651-5038 |
| Special Considerations | Commissioner’s Task Force report on the Virtual Learning Academy Charter (VLAC) state funding report  |
New Hampshire Department of Education
101 Pleasant Street | Concord, NH | 03301-3494
Telephone: (603) 271-3494 | TDD Access: Relay NH 711