PCPCS supports the growth of charter schools in Pennsylvania
September 06, 2012
West Chester, PA — More families in Pennsylvania will have access to public school choice as school begins for the 2012-2013 year. Thirteen new charter schools will join the existing 167 charter schools statewide.
The list of new schools includes four cyber charter schools that can serve students throughout Pennsylvania, along with brick-and-mortar charter schools in Allentown, Beaver, Hamburg, Pitcairn and Scranton and four Renaissance schools in Philadelphia.
“We look forward to working with the new charter schools and are pleased that the numbers are growing in Pennsylvania,” said Robert Fayfich, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS). “Having more access to public school choice will benefit children and families and provides opportunities they may not have otherwise had.”
The new charter schools are:
- ACT Academy Cyber Charter School (cyber charter based in Philadelphia)
- Arts Academy, Allentown
- Baden Academy, Beaver
- Education Plus Academy Cyber Charter School (cyber charter based in Philadelphia)
- Esperanza Cyber Charter School (cyber charter based in Philadelphia)
- Grover Cleveland Mastery Charter Campus (Philadelphia Renaissance school)
- Howard Gardner School of Discovery, Scranton
- Medical Academy, Hamburg
- Memphis Street Academy Charter School at J.P. Jones (Philadelphia Renaissance school)
- The Philadelphia Charter School for the Arts and Sciences at H.R. Edmunds (Philadelphia Renaissance school)
- Propel Pitcairn, Pitcairn
- Solomon Charter School (cyber charter based in Philadelphia)
- Universal Creighton Charter School (Philadelphia Renaissance school)
A few weeks after these new schools open, state legislators will consider a comprehensive charter reform bill that would mark the first significant reform to charter school law since it was passed in 1997. The reform measure would provide more access to public school choice in Pennsylvania.
About the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools (PCPCS)
PCPCS is dedicated to choice, quality and accountability in public education. We advocate for legislation and policies that support those objectives and provide assistance to charter schools, with the aspiration of making every charter school in Pennsylvania a high performing public school. More than105,000 children are enrolled in 176 charter schools throughout the Commonwealth and more than 40,000 are on waiting lists. For more information on PCPCS or charter schools, visit www.pacharters.org.