Partnership Academy first opened its doors in 2002, but understanding the history of Partnership Academy requires some knowledge of another school, Edison PPL. In 1998, a group of educators sought to offer an alternative to their local Minneapolis public elementary school. The Minneapolis Public School District worked with a private management company, Edison Schools, and a non-profit organization, Project for Pride in Living (PPL), to open Edison/ PPL. The goal of this contract alternative school was to provide a world-class education for low income students.
In its first year (1998), Edison/ PPL served about 200 students in grades K through 5 and had approximately 20 staff members. Over the next few years, the school experienced rapid growth and changes in leadership. By the fourth year, it was decided to close Edison /PPL. However, a small and dedicated group of staff members remained committed to the vision of serving low income students, and they began to talk to PPL about starting a charter school. Although Edison opted out of participating in this vision due to a desire to manage larger schools, MACS (Minnesota Association of Charter Schools) encouraged the group to proceed with the dream by opening a charter school.
Although PPL mainly serves families who live in Minneapolis, a site was selected in Richfield for the new school. With the dedication and hard work of the founders and interested families, Partnership Academy Charter School opened in 2002. In that year, 115 students in grades K through 7 were served by 12 staff members.
Partnership Academy’s positive reputation began to spread and their enrollment increased each year. By the 2009-2010 school year, Partnership Academy has 300 students and 45 staff members; a significantly bigger school than when it opened its doors just seven years earlier. The demographics of the school have also changed significantly since its inception. While still serving students from low-income families, there was a shift from a majority of African-American students to a majority of Hispanic/Latino students. Currently, the school serves a diverse student population from Richfield, Minneapolis and Bloomington. Over 95% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch.
Partnership Academy has experienced such success that it is now looking to expand to serve additional grades (K through 8) in a larger building. Not only does the staff believe in the mission of this exceptional school, but clearly the families and surrounding community do as well.
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