A charter school is a public school that receives public education funding and is open to all children in the state in which it is located. In general, a charter school is its own school district, nonsectarian, tuition-free, and governed by a Board of Directors.
Minnesota Charter Schools are:
Publicly funded schools of choice:
Parnassus Preparatory School is a charter school in Minnesota authorized by Friends of Education and is funded on a per-pupil basis.
Usually established by a group of founders:
Parnassus Preparatory School’s founding members are three parents who were interested in providing the best education to their own children and to as many other students as possible. The lack of choices available for academic excellence in the community became the driving force in their decision to make Parnassus a full Prima-4R school. Read about “Our Story.”
Site-based managed:
Governance models vary from charter school to charter school. Parnassus Preparatory School’s Board of Directors has a parent-majority board comprised of up to five board members including parents, one licensed teacher teaching at the school, and one community member.
Focused on one specific philosophy:
Every charter school has its own mission and philosophy. Parnassus is a classical school based on the classical Trivium framework. The Parnassus philosophy is that all students benefit from the highest standards of academic integrity and from a rigorous, content-rich, educational program that develops their intellectual capacity, personal character, and leadership skills. The school provides an environment that fosters academic excellence through the habit of discipline and thoroughness, the willingness to work hard, and the perseverance to complete difficult tasks. Through a defined, traditional, classical curriculum that is grounded in the classical Trivium, students prepare to become active and responsible leaders and members of their communities.
Created for a very defined purpose:
Parnassus expects nothing less than the best from its students. Parnassus is a fit for parents and students who wish to make a specific educational choice for a classical education. Students who understand, and whose parents understand, the effort necessary to attain a classical education will thrive at Parnassus. Parents and students who do not agree with the Parnassus’ mission, philosophy, and policies may find that Parnassus is not the right fit for their family. In such circumstances, a different educational opportunity may be more appropriate.