Massachusetts Charter Schools

Charter Amendment Requests Pending Board Action (Districts Specified in Charter Region and Maximum Enrollment)

Pursuant to the Charter School Regulations, 603 CMR 1.10(1), the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Board) must approve certain changes in the material terms of a school's charter. This year (2024-2025), the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (Department) received requests from seven existing charter schools that involve changes to the districts specified in the school's charter region and maximum enrollment. Please see the table below for a list of charter schools that have submitted charter amendment requests. Please contact the Department at charterschools@mass.gov to obtain copies of any of the submitted amendment requests.

Section 1.10 of 603 CMR contains several criteria that the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education (Commissioner) and the Board may consider in reaching a determination regarding a school's request to amend its charter. First, "the Commissioner and the Board may consider a charter school's compliance with applicable state, federal, and local law." Second, the Commissioner and the Board may consider the evidence regarding the success of the school's academic program, the viability of the school as an organization, and the faithfulness of the school to the terms of its charter. Third, if seeking an increase in student enrollment from certain districts, the board of trustees must qualify as a "proven provider" based on the existing school and must meet the performance criteria described in 603 CMR 1.04(4). Fourth, schools must address additional criteria as outlined in the Department's guidelines on amendments.

The Department currently anticipates bringing these matters to the Board for consideration at a meeting no earlier than January 28, 2025 and completing the process by February 25, 2025, if requests are recommended by the Commissioner for approval. Updates on this process may be found on the Department's Board Meeting Schedule and Agendas website.

The Department solicits comments from the superintendents in the school districts within each charter school's current/proposed district or region. Members of the public may submit written comments regarding a school's amendment request to: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, c/o Office of Charter Schools and School Redesign, 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149 or by email to charterschools@mass.gov . Email is preferred. The deadline for public comment is December 13, 2024. The deadline is guided by the Board's anticipated schedule regarding charter school matters, including proposed charter amendments and charter renewals.

Charter School Name	Location	Grades	Max Enrollment	Current District or Region	Proposed Amendment to Charter
Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School	Marlborough	6–12	966	Clinton, Hudson, Marlborough, Maynard	Increase enrollment by 34 seats
Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann Charter Public School	Boston	9–12	448	Boston	Increase enrollment by 352 seats
KIPP Academy Lynn Charter School	Lynn	K–12	1586	Lynn	Increase enrollment by 1,361 seats
Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School	Hadley	K–12	584	Agawam, Amherst, Amherst-Pelham, Belchertown, Chesterfield-Goshen, Chicopee, Conway, Deerfield, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Frontier, Gill-Montague, Granby, Greenfield, Hadley, Hampden-Wilbraham, Hampshire, Hatfield, Hawlemont, Holyoke, Leverett, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Mohawk Trail, Northampton, Pelham, Pioneer Valley, Shutesbury, South Hadley, Southampton, Southwick-Tolland-Granville, Springfield, Sunderland, West Springfield, Westfield, Westhampton, Whately, and Williamsburg	Increase enrollment by 100 seats
Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School	South Hadley	7–12	400	Agawam, Amherst-Pelham, Belchertown, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Erving, Frontier, Gateway, Gill-Montague, Granby, Greenfield, Hadley, Hampden-Wilbraham, Hampshire Regional, Hatfield, Holyoke, Longmeadow, Ludlow, Mohawk Trail, Monroe, Monson, Northampton, Palmer, Pioneer Valley, Ralph C. Mahar, Rowe, South Hadley, Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional, Springfield, Tantasqua, Ware, West Springfield, and Westfield	Reduce the number of districts named in the region to 18 districts (Proposed region is: Agawam, Amherst-Pelham, Belchertown, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Easthampton, Granby, Hadley, Hamden-Wilbraham, Hampshire Regional, Hatfield, Holyoke, Ludlow, Northampton, South Hadley, Springfield, West Springfield, and Westfield)
Salem Academy Charter School	Salem	6–12	480	Salem	Increase enrollment by 70 seats
South Shore Charter Public School	Norwell	K–12	1,075	Abington, Braintree, Brockton, Cohasset, Duxbury, East Bridgewater, Halifax, Hanover, Hingham, Holbrook, Hull, Kingston, Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Quincy, Randolph, Rockland, Scituate, Weymouth, and Whitman-Hanson	Increase enrollment by 225 seats

Last Updated: October 3, 2024