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Board approves multiple charter and Learn Everywhere applications, including two new charters
Summary
The State Board approved enrollment increases and new charters (Birches and Breakthrough) and granted Learn Everywhere approvals to nonprofit and university partners, citing appetite for locally controlled, competency and experiential programs.
The State Board of Education approved several charter‑related items and "Learn Everywhere" program applications Thursday, including a charter amendment increasing enrollment for Purchase Academy (Birches Academy) and full approval for a new Breakthrough Academy charter. The board also approved Learn Everywhere applications, including a 4‑H program by UNH Cooperative Extension and revised applications for community partners.
Purchase Academy (presented by Jessica Wachsman) requested an increase in enrollment from 300 to 350 after acquiring additional building space and committing to hire more staff; the board voted to approve the amendment. Breakthrough Academy presenters Kimberly Morton and Kimberly Bridal described a competency‑based, farm and agriculture‑integrated curriculum designed to address local needs — community food insecurity and student engagement — and the board granted the charter application with the usual conditions around budget and staffing.
The board approved a revised Learn Everywhere application for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Hampshire and granted preliminary or attendance‑only approvals to specialized providers that serve specific populations, including Ready, Set, Connect (an ABA‑focused provider), Evergreen Elementary (preliminary approval) and Regina Maria Academy (preliminary approval). The Ready, Set, Connect approval allows attendance credit for students in specialized ABA settings beginning 08/14/2024 and extending through 06/30/2029.
Board members questioned applicants about classroom sizes, staffing, budget conservatism and governance. Presenters emphasized conservative enrollment projections and community partnerships (e.g., partnerships with 4‑H, local farms, employers) to support experiential learning and sustainability. The board approved the charter amendment and the new charter applications by voice votes recorded in the transcript.
What happens next: applicants with preliminary approvals must finalize facility approvals and meet any conditions set by the board before full attendance approval for multi‑year periods; charter operators will work with the board and department staff on final budgets, staffing plans and governance commitments.
