Politics & Government

Regional Charter School Proposed

The school would serve students in Westborough, Hopkinton, Marlborough, Northborough, Southborough and Shrewsbury.

Written by Michael Gelbwasser 

The proposed Central Massachusetts Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics via Language Immersion Public Charter School would open for the 2014-2015 academic year.


A Westborough-based regional charter school has been proposed, one of 10 new charter school prospectuses received by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The proposed Central Massachusetts Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics via Language Immersion Public Charter School would open for the 2014-2015 academic year with 315 total students among Kindergarten to grade five, according to the July 29 state filing. 

The proposed school would have 584 students in its fifth year, when it would serve Kindergarten to grade eight. Full enrollment would be 675 students.

The school would serve students in Westborough, Hopkinton, Marlborough, Northborough, Southborough and Shrewsbury. The school would be located in Westborough, although the specific site is "not now known," the document states.

The proposed board of trustees includes such local residents as Melinda Ajemian of Hopkinton; Dr. Daniela Carrigo of Westborough; and Pranab Khumar Das of Westborough. Das would chair the board.

State education officials said in a press release that in mid-September, they'll invite the groups that "show the most promise" to submit a full application by Oct. 25.

"For each group invited to submit a final application, their proposal will receive a comprehensive review by Department staff and external reviewers with expertise in education, business, legal and organizational structure. Commissioner Chester will then decide which finalists to recommend to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Board will vote on the Commissioner's recommendations to award new charters in February 2014," the press release states.

"For applicants that must demonstrate that they qualify as proven providers, an invitation to submit a final application is contingent on the Commissioner's granting of proven provider status. The determination of proven provider status will occur when the results of spring 2013 MCAS testing become available and prior to the submission deadline for final applications."

All 10 groups applying in the latest round want to open Commonwealth charter schools, which "are fully autonomous and operate independently of the local school district," the press release states.

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The proposed Central Mass. charter school seeks "to develop and enrich confidence, curiosity and a love of learning in all students about Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through a rigorous academic curriculum, a focus on learning through the arts, and building brain elasticity and abstract awareness through a language immersion learning atmosphere," the group's filing states.

"All children will be exposed to at least two writing systems. All children will be held to high standards for learning and performance. And, all children will develop to high levels trilingual speaking and literacy skills," the document states.

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In addition, "students will learn and demonstrate academic success in all STEAM subjects in an interdisciplinary fashion, including through a study of computer science and coding, robotics, science as a tool for exploration, and arts as a communication tool—with performance measured in both English and each student’s target language (Hindi, Mandarin or Spanish)," the document states.

"Staff will participate in professional development weekly and during the summer. Families will be offered classes in Hindi, Mandarin, Spanish, ESL and technology," organizers wrote.

The founders of the proposed school first met in 2012 to discuss creating "a school dedicated to early and sustained immersion in Asian languages and Spanish and that would meet family perceptions that the current STEM curriculum across region schools was neither rigorous nor challenging their children," the document notes.

"As the group coalesced, the group held more formal discussions and emerged unanimous in its desire to offer a K-8th grade educational program that produces well-rounded, academically strong students who are highly proficient in two languages and who are academic leaders in STEM enhanced by the arts," the document states.


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