NASHUA – Students and staff at the Academy of Science and Design can breathe easier, after the state Board of Education voted to renew its charter for another five years.
The board unanimously approved the renewal, but not before asking some tough questions about the school’s plans for improvement, particularly in the areas of fiscal responsibility and growth management, in the years to come.
A visiting team, led by former Nashua Associate Superintendent Ed Hendry, spent two days at the middle and high school in October, and recommended the charter be renewed. At the board meeting Wednesday, Hendry spoke highly of Nashua’s only charter school.
“We found copious evidence that the school was fulfilling its charter,” Hendry said. “I am convinced that the school is sustainable ... and convinced that students thrive there.”
The Academy for Science and Design opened in Merrimack in 2007 but moved to Nashua over the summer.
By the end of its initial five-year charter, schools are required by state law to show they have met standards and goals set forth in its original charter application to order to get a renewal.
The school has to show, among other things, that it is making progress toward achieving its mission, is responsibly using public funds, is promoting student attainment of expected knowledge and skills, and is sustainable.
And while Hendry praised the school for its work, the report on ASD did call attention to some “significant issues” the school has faced since opening its doors in 2007.![]()
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