Charter schools OK’d by education board

By John Whitson, Union Leader Staff | March 15, 2006

The charter school movement in New Hampshire took a big step forward yesterday when the state Board of Education approved applications to establish three new schools.

The three schools, which push the statewide number of charter schools approved by the board from eight to 11, are proposed for different parts of the state, would serve different age groups and specialize in different forms of education.

The Academy for Science and Design, sponsored by Daniel Webster College, would become the state’s first middle/high school to concentrate on science, math, engineering and design.

Supporters are looking for property anywhere along the Nashua-to-Concord corridor, and they plan a September 2007 opening. The application calls for a school that would eventually teach 450 students in grades 7-12, but the first year would be limited to about 60 students.

"They did a very good job of describing the need for . . . how many more scientifically trained students we need," said David Ruedig, Board of Education chairman.

Strong Foundations Learning Academy is envisioned as a grades 1-4 school for up to 100 students in the Concord area. It would open next September.

The school is being designed by education specialists for children who are at risk of being diagnosed with having a language skills learning disability.

The school would have a full elementary program, but would emphasize grade-level competency in reading and writing. A chief goal would be preventing students from having to enter the special education system in their later years.

"I was impressed with Strong Foundations," said Ruedig. "I think they fill a real need for early learning specialization."

Surry Village Charter School would start out as a K-5 school for 40 students, with hopes to expand to K-8. School activists hope to gain an agreement with Monadnock Regional School District to lease the elementary school in town that was shuttered by district officials last summer.

Frank Conroy, charter school chairman, said he’s hoping for a September opening. The school, he said, will emphasize learning how to live in a rural environment. Woodworking, gardening and physical education classes will set it apart, he said.

“We want to get back to the basics,” said Conroy.

Beyond the curriculum, Conroy said he and other people behind the effort also want the town of 700 people to have its own school. “There’s a lot of animosity here because they closed the school,” said Conroy.

This year, he said, Surry elementary school children are being educated in Gilsum and Sullivan and spending far too much time on buses. Conroy said the charter school will give people who live in Surry and nearby towns a local option.