History
The Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center and Charter School is built on the same plot as Midland's former Lincoln High School. After Lincoln High closed in 1987 due to low enrollment, the Midland area became increasingly depressed, and Midland Borough School District Superintendent Dr. Nick Trombetta embarked on a broad plan of action to improve Midland. In 2000, he opened the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, enabling students from Midland to attend high school in their own town. This cyber school has grown to be the largest in the state and is one of the largest and most innovative in the nation. Dr. Trombetta also had a vision of a world class arts center and school for Midland, Beaver County, and Western Pennsylvania; the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center's grand opening in Summer 2006 was the fruit of his efforts. The inaugural school year (2006-2007) was completed with great success and passed state academic standards. The School puts on two full production musicals a year.
In 2007 the Pennsylvania Department of Education launched an investigation into the charter school's dealings with neighboring districts. The investigation was prompted by concerns that the Lincoln Park charter school was operating in violation of the 1997 law that allows for the operation of charter schools in the commonwealth. The Department found that a portion of Lincoln Park's operations during the 2006-07 school year were improper because some students enrolled there actually received some or all of their instruction from teachers in the Midland Borough School District. In addition, some students enrolled at Lincoln Park from the Midland Borough School District actually received instruction at a high school in the Western Beaver County School District. Under the settlement, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School agreed to: no longer send its students to the Western Beaver County School District or Midland Borough School District and to return per-pupil payments made by six local public school districts.
Read more about this topic: Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School
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