Seventeen interested parents from Wareham and surrounding communities listened intently Tuesday evening as Eric Hieser, executive director of the Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis, talked about both the process for starting a new public charter school in Massachusetts and about Sturgis. 

The group was brought together at the Carver Public Library by Sturgis parent and Middleborough resident Natalie White, who is interested in establishing a similar school in this area.

Hieser provided encouragement and details about the keys to starting a new charter school.  He stressed the importance of having a group of highly committed and dedicated  people who could prepare the necessary application and meet deadlines. 

He also answered questions about how a charter school works and how it is both similar to and different than other public schools.  He recommended that parents visit the website www.masscharterschools.org/schools/schoolfactsheet.html to learn more about charter schools.

Heiser spoke at length about the Sturgis School.  It is one of two Massachusetts charter schools offering the International Baccalaureate, a program that prepares all students at the school for post-high-school education. 

He noted that Sturgis, as do all Massachusetts charter school, selects its students on a lottery basis. There is no admissions test, and all students in the school are encouraged to participate in the challenging IB program.

Hieser explained that Sturgis students, like all Massachusetts Charter School students, have their tuition paid by the school districts where they live, but that these same school districts receive payment from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for these students.  This is to ensure that schools do not loose school funding when a town student attends a charter school.

White ended the meeting by saying that there will be additional meetings in the future to provide further information on establishing a new charter school in Southeastern Massachusetts.