About Us

Intelligence plus character that is the goal of true education.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

North Central Charter Essential School (NCCES) provides a small, focused, highly personalized middle and secondary public school education to families from across North Central Massachusetts. As an Essential School, we encourage the kind of relationships that motivate and support all students to reach their full potential. NCCES Students learn how to learn because we emphasize the development of thinking skills and depth of knowledge over breadth and memorization. Students develop essential skills and habits under the watchful eyes of adults, who know them well; reinforce learning by doing hands on projects; and, demonstrate skills and knowledge through exhibitions.

(Learning at NCCES). NCCES is a democratic community where all members have a voice and where students, staff, and families make important decisions together. Students are known well and respected and there are high expectations for all. Above all else, NCCES is a community where people treat one another with respect and trust and decency – where students learn to think, care and act.

“The partnership between students, teachers, administrators and parents help to build students' confidence as they realize the support they have in their learning.”

- NCCES parent

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded North Central Regional Charter Essential School a Charter in May, 2001. Founders of the school were educators involved with the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, MA.; a highly successful school both in terms of its function as a charter school and in its implementation of the common principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools. NCCES founders hoped to to provide the same type of high quality learning environment to a diverse community of learners. NCCES is an inclusive community, bringing together a student body from the urban, suburban, and rural communities in our region.. In the 2003-2004 school year, NCCES educated 300 students in grades seven through ten from twenty towns across north central Massachusetts. The school attracts a mix of students crossing boundaries of class and culture. (NCCES Demographics) About one third of students qualify for free or reduced lunch and nearly twenty percent of the school population are students of color. Nearly 1 in 6 students have special education plans. The school adds a new seventh grade class each year and in the fall of 2005 will reach full size, enrolling 400 students in grades 7 to 12.

The school opened in the fall of 2002 in 30,000 square feet of newly converted space in the Mass Innovation Center (MIC). Mass Innovation LLC is committed to improving communities by revitalizing properties utilizing sound economic and environmental methods and socially-conscious principles. The unique public-private partnership between MIC and NCCES allowed the school to move into space in the former building in Fitchburg, MA at no capital cost to the school. MIC completed the renovation and leases the space to the school. In August 2004, the school expanded into an additional 12,000 square feet of newly converted space at MIC.

The new space houses an art studio, science lab, performing arts space as well as an independent learning center. Visit our Facility page for more information about the school, location, educational resources and our partnership with MIC.

As a public charter school in Massachusetts, NCCES is governed by a Board of Trustees who ensures that the school is both financially viable and faithful to its charter. The Board of Trustees is made up of a diverse group of educators, business people, parents, and community leaders who approves the school budget and hires the school executives. (Finance and Governance). We are extremely proud of the outstanding faculty and staff serving families at the school. (Staff Profiles). To learn more about the school, visit our Publications page. If you are interested in enrolling your child, employment opportunities or finding other ways of becoming involved with North Central Charter Essential School, check out the following pages.

	NORTH CENTRAL CHARTER essential school	1 Oak Hill Road Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 Phone: 978.345.2701 FAX: 978.345.9127 [email protected]
	think l care l act