NEW BEDFORD – Nearly 100 new sixth grade scholars, along with 100 new kindergarten-aged children, will join the Alma del Mar community in August 2020. The two grades will serve as the primary entry points for New Bedford children joining the charter public school as it continues to grow its enrollment.
Alma was awarded an additional 594 seats for a second campus in New Bedford in January 2019. This second campus opened in August 2019 to 200 children in K-2 and sixth grade. This was the first year sixth grade was an entry point for new scholars, as kindergarten has previously served as the primary entry point since the school opened in 2011.
Alma prides itself in providing a rigorous yet highly supportive education to every scholar who walks through its doors. Alma middle schoolers are the highest performing middle schoolers on state MCAS tests in the city.
“We heard from a lot of families last spring who were looking for additional middle school options for their children,” said Will Gardner, Executive Director at Alma. “We are happy to be able to offer our middle school program to a greater number of families as we grow our enrollment. In just a few years, we will be graduating nearly 150 well-prepared eighth graders every spring.”
At full enrollment, the Douglass Campus will serve 50 children per grade in grades K-5, and 98 children per grade in grades 6-8. Alma’s Ottiwell campus will continue to serve 450 scholars in grades K-8, with 50 scholars in each grade.
The Douglass Campus’ larger sixth grade cohort will be selected as part of the school’s enrollment lottery on Feb. 26. Applications for New Bedford children entering grades Kindergarten through Eighth grade are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24, and may be completed online at Alma’s website, www.almadelmar.org.
About Alma del Mar Charter Schools:
Alma del Mar Charter Schools operates two charter public schools in New Bedford. The schools are tuition-free. Alma’s mission is to put every one of our scholars on the path to college and to challenge them to be service-minded leaders. We achieve this mission by providing a demanding and supportive education to every scholar who walks through our doors. Alma features a longer school day, a longer school year, high expectations for all scholars, and outstanding teachers from across the country. We currently serve 650 scholars across two campuses.