Schools

Foxborough Students, Parents Join Hundreds in Rally to Lift Charter School Cap

Hundreds of supporters rallied at the State House earlier this month to lift the charter school cap.

BOSTON - More than 700 charter public school parents, students and supporters, including Foxborough, recently rallied at the State House to encourage their legislators to support a bill that would eliminate enrollment caps on charter schools in the state’s lowest performing districts and create room for more charters across Massachusetts. 

Wearing “Lift the Cap” t-shirts and sporting “I Love Charter Public Schools” buttons, charter supporters met with their legislators in small and large groups to show support for their individual schools and ask that more charters be allowed to open in their communities. Supporters came from the arm of the Cape to Western Massachusetts.

About 130 students from the Foxborough Regional Charter School attended the rally as part of a civics lesson, and met with their local legislators to explain why their school is important to them.

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“These parents are so passionate about their charter schools and the quality of the education they are providing for their children that they are willing to travel long distances to ensure their voices are heard,” Marc Kenen, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, said. “They are also keenly aware that the choices they had may not be available to the next generation of parents unless charter caps are lifted in their communities.”

More than 100 parents came from Holyoke where charter growth is frozen because of the cap. Currently, the Holyoke Community Charter Public School, which is part of the SABIS network, is open to grades K-8 with just over 700 students. SABIS wants to add high school grades but will be unable to until the cap is lifted.

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In spite of a clear track record of academic success, charter public schools have more limits on their growth in Massachusetts than in any state in the country. Several low-performing districts, including Boston, Lawrence, Holyoke and Chelsea, are either frozen to new charters or have room for only one more. With tens of thousands of children currently on the waiting list, parents are asking the Legislature to lift the caps and provide more opportunities to enroll their children.

New legislation has been filed to eliminate the cap in underperforming districts and create more room to open new charter schools across the state. The proposal is part of an overall education reform bill filed by Sen. Senator Barry Finegold (D-Andover) and Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Mattapan) that will also provide districts with more tools to turn around underperforming schools. The bill is slated to be heard by the Education Committee on May 7.


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