LSSU adds new charter school

Lake Superior State University is expanding its list of charter schools, due to its existing charter schools receiving "School of Excellence" status.

The university's board of trustees approved state authorization of two of its public school academies, or charter schools, as schools of excellence, because of their performance records.

The two academies are Detroit Service Learning Academy in Detroit and Ridge Park Charter Academy in Grand Rapids. In order to meet the standard of excellence, the schools had to have MEAP proficiencies of at least 90 percent in math and reading, or 70 percent in K-8 schools with 50 percent of enrolled students who are low-income enough to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

LSSU president Tony McLain visited Detroit Service Learning Academy recently and says the school more than met those standards, and impressed him with its rigor.

"I couldn't agree more that this is a school of excellence," he says.

The university was able to add another school under its charter, because when one of the charter schools is recognized as a school of excellence, LSSU can then charter another school.

The newest addition is Bay City Academy, in Bay City, which is the eighth public school academy under LSSU's charter.

Bay City Academy will be led by principal Ryan Schrock, currently a teacher at LSSU's Grand Traverse Academy, a model for the Bay City school. It will open as a K-6 academy this fall, with a projected enrollment of 1,000 students by 2016.

Its curriculum will include language arts, math, science, social studies, Spanish, technology, and character education. The LSSU board has approved five charter school board members for the Bay City school as well.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Tony McLain, Lake Superior State University