Back to School Season in Full Swing for Washington’s Charter Public Schools

For Immediate Release | Thursday, August 28, 2019

Contact | Maggie Meyers at maggie@wacharters.wpenginepowered.com or (724) 263-9826

Seattle, WA—The 2019-20 school year has officially kicked off at most of the state’s charter public schools. This year, ten charter public schools statewide will serve approximately 3,500 students. For the sector’s most veteran schools, this year marks the fifth year of operation. The state’s newest charter public school, Ashé Preparatory Academy, opened doors to students for the very first time, in Kent, on Monday, August 26.

Extended learning time—through early school year starts and longer school days—is a common feature of Washington’s charter public schools, which have more flexibility when it comes to their academic programs and calendars, in exchange for being held to higher levels of accountability for academic outcomes.

“This year, as students and teachers head back to school, we celebrate the expansion of existing high-performing charters schools, the launch of a new and innovative approach to culturally responsive teaching at Ashé Prep, and a robust pipeline of schools set to open in 2020 and beyond,” said WA Charters CEO Patrick D’Amelio.

In May, the Washington State Charter School Commission authorized four more schools, and in June, Spokane Public Schools approved a school designed to serve teen parents. Also in June, WA Charters selected a new cohort of four School Leadership and Design Fellows, who will apply to open in 2021 and 2022.

“Five years in, our highest fliers are recognized among the highest performing charter schools in the nation, and 100% of our operating and planned schools share a focus on rigorous college and career readiness,” said D’Amelio.

Here is a full listing of the charter public schools currently operating across the state in the 2019-20 school year, including grade level offerings and start dates:

 

School Location Year opened Grade levels served First day of school
Summit Atlas West Seattle 2017 6-11 in 2019-20, 6-12 in 2020 and beyond August 21
Summit Olympus Tacoma 2015 9-12 in 2019-20 and beyond August 21
Summit Sierra Seattle 2015 9-12 in 2019-20 and beyond August 21
Ashé Preparatory Academy Kent (temporary facility, planning to move to Skyway) 2019 K-2, 6, growing to serve K-8 August 26
Impact | Puget Sound Elementary Tukwila 2018 K-2 in 2019-20, growing to serve K-5 August 26
Rainier Prep Highline 2015 5-8 in 2019-20 and beyond August 28
Spokane International Academy Spokane 2015 K-8 in 2019-20 and beyond August 28 for grades 1-8; August 30 for K
PRIDE Prep Middle School and Innovation High School Spokane 2015 6-11 in 2019-20 and beyond September 3
Willow Public School Walla Walla 2018 6-8 in 2019-20 and beyond September 3
Green Dot Rainier Valley Leadership Academy – Middle School and High School Seattle 2017 6-10 in 2019-20, growing to 6-12 September 4

To be connected with a school representative in your area, please contact Maggie Meyers at maggie@wacharters.wpenginepowered.com.

About WA Charters

The Washington State Charter Schools Association is a statewide nonprofit that advocates for and supports high-quality charter public schools that meet the needs of systemically underserved students. To learn more, visit www.wacharters.org.

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