by Natasha V. Borisov

The Prospect Hill Academy, a parent-run charter school, opened for the school year Sept. 7 at its lower campus in Union Square and its upper campus in Central Square.

One of the big improvements is the construction of a new library in the lower campus, said Jon Drescher, the superintendent of both school campuses.

Both of the campuses have rigorously prepared for a whole new year of passionate teaching, diligent learning and motivated parental participation, he said.

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School was originally organized by a devoted group of parents, whose rigorous involvement manifested into creating a charter and patiently waiting for the State’s approval, Drescher said.

“Although practically anyone would be allowed to unite together and propose a charter, only a selected few would possess enough patience and drive to go through such a complex process”, he said.

The school still has one founding parent on its board, Mary Nice-Hodorawis as a chairwoman of the board of trustees, he said.

Not only the state has to approve the initial charter, making sure that the state’s academic requirements fully coincide with the proposed document, but over the next few years the state checks on the new school’s agenda, staff and overall operational level to guarantee that the School still remains on track with its original goals, he said.

Drescher said the charter school, as it enters its ninth year, has passed the most difficult years of state scrutiny, namely the second, third and fifth years.

The core curriculum is designed, continuously developed and modified to bring the School’s original ideals and goals into life, specifically to prepare each student for success in college, inspire a lifelong love of learning, and foster responsible citizenship, according to the school’s mission statement.

The school’s board carefully works together to make sure that the initiated curriculum development project would provide the students with the best academic foundation and guarantee their future success in colleges and universities, Drescher said.

The general curriculum is based around the core literacy, English and Math requirements, as well as a necessary knowledge of a foreign language. “Students begin learning Spanish from their very first years in the charter school,” said the superintendent.
Prospect Hill Academy is an independently operated public school. It is tuition-free for students, yet the level of funding that each student receives varies individually, he said.

The school receives a fixed amount, determined by a formula, from a student’s home public school system, he said. The formula takes into account the per student funding in the city or town the student comes from.

Roughly, 45 percent of academy’s students live in Somerville, while the rest live mostly in Medford, Cambridge, Malden, Everett and Lynn.

Some of its mandatory requirements include at least five hours of annual parental involvement, ranging from supervising students’ field trip to helping painting the school’s building, he said.

“Parents receive and sign a special parental package in the beginning of the year, agreeing to a minimum set of parental duties,” he said.

The school’s unique requirements go beyond parental involvement and academics. There is also a dress code, he said.

Though, not a uniform, the school has color guideline that students have to follow, such as, khaki pants for the boys, he said.

Even the school’s enrollment process is distinct, as students can actually get in only through a lottery process, he said. “They do have to apply to the school first, of course, but the lottery is the only reasonable way to decide who would be chosen.”