New charter school application denied

Residents in Ashburnham and Westminster will continue to have one choice for charter schools in the area.

The proposal for a new charter school in Hubbardston was not granted by the state Board of Education at their Feb. 27 meeting. The proposed Maplewind Charter School was one of four finalists reviewed by the board during the month.

Maplewind would have accepted students from Ashburnham and Westminster, as well as Gardner, Winchendon, Holden, Paxton, Rutland, Princeton, Oakham, Sterling, Templeton, Phillipston, Petersham, Barre, New Braintree and Hardwick.

The state Board of Education granted only one of the four applications to start charter schools in the state during the fall of 2007. The application was granted to the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School.

The board renewed the charter for the North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg with conditions. The board renewed a three other charter school applications around the state.