Our School

The Lowell Community Charter Public School is a public grade school currently serving students from Kindergarten through Sixth grade. LCCPS was established under a Commonwealth Charter in September, 2000. We welcome any child in Massachusetts although preference is given to Lowell residents.

Charter Schools Definition

A charter school is a public school that, in accordance with an enabling state statute, has been granted a charter exempting it from selected state or local rules and regulations. Charter schools differ from traditional schools in the following fundamental ways; students and parents choose charter schools; charter schools operate with freedom from many of the regulations that govern traditional public schools; and for that freedom they must create a “charter”- a contract - which the school must adhere to and by which the charter school is evaluated by the authorizing state agency which oversees it.

In return for relative autonomy in budgeting, curriculum development, methods and staffing, the charter school must meet accountability standards specific to a state and the charter school. A school's charter is reviewed (typically every 3 to 5 years) and can be revoked if guidelines on curriculum and management are not followed or the standards are not met. A charter school may be newly created, or it may previously have been a public or private school. It is typically governed by a group or organization (e.g., a group of educators, a community group, a corporation, or a university, among others) under a contract or charter with the state of origin of the charter school.

Our History

In 1998, a group of parents and community members mobilized around the idea of creating a school that focuses on the contributions and needs of Lowell’s diverse communities. In January 1999, the Massachusetts Department of Education awarded the newly created Board of Trustees of the Lowell Community Charter Public School with a “Commonwealth” model Charter.