History
In 1991, Minnesota became the first state in the United States to pass legislation that allowed charter schools. Several proposals for schools were quickly proposed, including City Academy. The school was the third charter school approved by the Minnesota Department of Education, but the first to open. The proposal won support from current mayor James Scheibel, several neighborhood parents, and Northern States Power Company. However, the charter school received opposition from the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers.
Milo Cutter (teacher), and Barron Chapman (recreation leader),Terry Kraabel,(teacher) were the three people who started the school. The initial proposal for the school was designed for students who have dropped out of school. The school was also designed for students whose homes were wracked by poverty or substance abuse. The proposal included having the students do things such as building homes for Habitat for Humanity, learning art at local pottery studios, and studying biology at local nature centers. The proposal allowed students to work toward their high school diploma or try to get back into a more traditional high school. The proposal was to serve 30 Saint Paul students ages 13 to 19 who have dropped out of school or are at risk for dropping out. Since then, the school has expanded, but is kept small to keep small class sizes.
Northern States Power eventually donated computers to the school and provided $30,000 in startup money. The predicted annual budget was $200,000. The school received about $120,000 in state education funding, the remainder coming from fundraising efforts. City Academy was modeled after a program called Power League a year before. Plans are for the year-round school to open in August, said Milo Cutter, Power League director. In addition to offering classes in academic subjects, the program offers support groups, counseling, individualized case management, job skills training, community service, and recreational activities. On September 7, 1992, City Academy became the first charter school in the United States to open.
Read more about this topic: City Academy High School
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