The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
Charter Schools - Approval of Management Contracts for Old Sturbridge Academy Charter Public School and for Community Day Charter Public School-Gateway, Community Day Charter Public School-Prospect, and Community Day Charter Public School-R. Kingman Webster
Under the charter school statute, G. L. c. 71, § 89(k)(5), the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) must approve contracts between charter schools and entities from which they procure substantially all educational services. At its meeting in April 2017, the Board voted to delegate to the Commissioner the authority to approve management contracts for Old Sturbridge Academy Charter Public School (OSACPS), and for a network of charter schools that includes Community Day Charter Public School-Gateway (CDCPS-Gateway), Community Day Charter Public School-R. Kingman Webster (CDCPS-R. Kingman Webster), and Community Day Charter Public School-Prospect (CDCPS-Prospect; collectively the CDCPS network). Pursuant to this authority, I approved both management contracts on November 14, 2017.
The board of trustees of OSACPS described in its charter application the intention to procure substantially all educational services from Old Sturbridge, Inc., including leadership services to support the school's directors and operational services related to facilities, food services, human resources, development, information technology, faculty and student recruitment, and financial services. Old Sturbridge, Inc., is a non-profit organization that currently operates an outdoor history museum, Old Sturbridge Village. The Board granted a charter to OSACPS in February 2017. The school has begun its first year of operation serving approximately 160 students and will grow to enroll 360 students in grades K-8 by 2022-2023.
The board of trustees of the CDCPS network sought to revise the management contract with its education management organization (EMO), Community Day Care Center of Lawrence, after the first successful renewal of the two new schools chartered by the Board in 2011. The contractual revisions were needed to reflect structural staffing changes at the schools and the management organization and include a 1.5 percent increase in the fee for services over four years. Community Day Care Center of Lawrence, Inc., d/b/a Community Day Charter Management Organization, is a private non-profit organization based in Massachusetts that has provided management services to all three schools since their founding in 1995 (CDCPS-Prospect) and 2011 (CDCPS-Gateway and CDCPS-R. Kingman Webster).
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) has reviewed the OSACPS and CDCPS network contracts and found both are reasonable and consistent with the charter school statute and regulations. Each contract includes a delineation of the roles and responsibilities of the EMO and the school; a description of how the board of trustees of the charter school(s) will monitor the academic performance and fiscal activity of the school; performance evaluation measures, including those for student academic performance; the total fee paid for management services; delineation of authority over hiring and firing; and the conditions and procedures for the contract's renewal and termination.
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Alison Bagg, Director of the Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign (781-338-3218); Cliff Chuang, Senior Associate Commissioner (781-338-3222); or me.