Auburn committee approves Gateways Academy as a private school in town

The Auburn School Committee voted April 2 to approve Gateways Academy's application to operate as a private school in Auburn and to use Bethel Lutheran Church as its location.

Monica Campbell, identified herself as a cofounder of Gateways Academy and described the school's five-year history in Shrewsbury. Campbell said Gateways is a micro-school (the founders do not intend to exceed about 100 students) and currently enrolls about 70 students; the school's first graduates have matriculated to college and staff provide individualized college visits and application support.

Campbell said the school will keep its current tuition at $6,250 and described additional program fees: a before-school drop-in program at $5 per day and an after-school program that runs until 5:30 p.m. with fees of $12 for one child or $18 for two or more. She described the school's emphasis on small class size, community service activities and transition supports for older students. "Given the opportunity to move to Auburn, we've decided to keep tuition at the current rate of $6,250," Campbell said.

Committee members asked questions about enrollment, traffic patterns near nearby Swanson Road and program hours; the Gateways representatives said they provide maps and directions to families to reduce local traffic impacts and that the school's schedule is intended to avoid the worst of adjacent-school congestion.

A committee member announced a potential conflict of interest and abstained from the vote; the motion to approve Gateways Academy as a private school carried by voice vote. The committee congratulated the founders and noted the district would notify required parties of the approval.