The Collegiate Charter School of Lowell: “A New Home and A New Name”

On the evening of August 25th, hundreds of elementary students and parents gathered at the newest erected building at 1857 Middlesex Street. The Collegiate Charter School of Lowell, formerly known as the Lowell Collegiate Charter School, has finally opened after three years of battle against ups and downs whether or not it was possible to build this new charter school at the proposed location in Lowell.

The event was fans filled with decorated green and white cakes that are lined up in the hall way waiting to be celebrated after the ribbon cutting on the frontside of the school. Lt. Governor Karyn Polito was first to speak. She congratulated Lowell for making such progress for families and children, “it should not take prayer or luck for our children to get a better education opportunity but strategic planning” she said. Currently, there are 30,000 students on the waiting list in the Commonwealth to enter the charter schools. There were many city officials and dignitaries also attended and spoke including Representative Dave Nangle, Representative Rady Mom, Councilor Corey Belanger, Councillor Rodney Elliott, Councilor Rita Mercier, Board of Trustee President Kathleen McCarthy also spoke.

Collegiate Charter of Lowell is part of Sabis educational network, a system that has known to many as “an academically vigorous educational disciplines that prepares students for college, and has the same private school curriculums as Sabis network system offers in other part of the world” says George Sadd, Vice President U.S. Operations from Minnesota. Sabis educational system is globally taught in 16 countries and 11 schools inside of the United States including the first to open in Springfield, Massachusetts 20 years ago and another in Holyoke in 2008.

Came to Lowell in 2013, the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell first opened at Club Lafayette, and then at the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church and recently at the Hellenic Cultural Center as their temporary locations. Today they celebrate their permanent home. The new building consist of 22 classrooms, 640 students  from K-6. They plan to expand to 7-8 grades in the next two years and the high school building is in progress – another grade will be added each year until K-12 program is fully offered.