FAQ’s
1. When will Cologne Academy open?
Cologne Academy officially opened September 2, 2008. Like most public schools in Minnesota, the first day of the 2012-2013 school year will be Tuesday, September 4, 2012.
2. Where is the Cologne Academy located?
The school is located at 1221 South Village Parkway; the southwest corner of Hwy 212 and Carver County Rd 53. A 16,000 square foot building next to the Cologne Community Center was constructed in 2008 and in the Spring of 2010 a new 8,000 square foot building addition is being constructed. The Cologne Academy campus will eventually be comprised of four buildings. Cologne Academy will have capacity of 3 classrooms of each grade K-8.
3. What does it cost to send my child to the Cologne Academy?
It’s free! Cologne Academy is a public charter school and receives its funding, like all other public schools- through the State of Minnesota.
4. What grade levels will be offered?
Cologne Academy started as Kindergarten-5th Grade school and added a grade each year until the school reached 8th grade. For the 2012-2013 school year, Cologne Academy will be K-8.
5. What are the projected class sizes?
Cologne Academy is committed to providing high quality education for all learners. We truly believe that a relationship exists between class size and the quality of instruction teachers are able to provide in order to maximize student achievement. To that end, the school board and administration have established the following reasonable equitable guidelines for class size targets.
Kindergarten: 26 students per class (two teachers in each room)
1st-2nd grade: 25 students per class
3rd-8th grade: 27 students per class
6. Will Cologne Academy offer before and after school programs?
Yes, start times are 6:00 a.m. and pick up is 6:30 p.m.
7. What school district is the school in?
The school is physically located in the Central Public School District # 108. However, Cologne Academy has no district boundaries, so no matter where you live you may enroll.
8. Is enrollment limited?
Enrollment may be limited to maintain appropriate class sizes. Waitlists will be formed as needed.
9. What happens if enrollment exceeds available space?
If there are more applicants than spaces during the open enrollment period (November- February each year), a lottery will be held to determine admission. Students who are not admitted through the lottery process will have their names placed on a waiting list in the order determined by the outcome of the drawing. Minnesota State statute determines waitlist guidelines.
10. Can I pre-register my child?
Unfortunately, no. However, if you are interested in the school, you should sign a letter of intent today. By signing a letter of intent, you will be assured of receiving important enrollment announcements.
11. What is the length of the school day?
The school day is tentatively planned to start at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:30 p.m. Times may vary depending on transportation services.
12. Will the school provide busing?
Each year, Cologne Academy will revisit busing options to serve as many students as possible. Due to the state’s funding structure for busing, the school’s service may look different from year to year as we try to maximize service to Cologne Academy’s student population.
13. Will the school provide services to students with special needs?
Yes, we welcome students of all abilities. As a public school we offer all programs that receive state and federal funding including, but not limited to: Special Education, Title I, and ESL.
14. Does the school hire licensed teachers?
Yes, all teachers are deemed “highly qualified” by the Minnesota Department of Education standards and licensed through the State of Minnesota.
15. Will there be standardized testing and how will the school measure results?
Cologne Academy measures individual student achievement using the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA II in the grades required 3-8), NWEA Measures of Academic Progress, DIBELS, and other curricular resources.
16. How is the school governed?
Charter schools elect their own school boards to oversee all aspects of the school’s mission, vision, goals, and operations.
17. Will the school increase my property taxes?
No, the school receives 100% of its funding through the State and cannot levy taxes or hold a referendum.
18. How does the charter school impact the local school district?
The State of Minnesota provides funding for charter schools, not the local school district. Studies have also shown that charter schools actually increase the amount of money available for education in the community, because some of the funding and grant money is received from the federal government. As a result, there is a net increase in education funds to the community.
Charter schools also introduce a healthy pressure on the system to provide equal or better services to the students they serve. When schools compete for students, every child wins and our entire education system improves.
19. What is a charter school sponsor?
The role of the charter school sponsor is to first approve charter applications and then monitor the school to ensure success. Sponsors are ultimately responsible for the operational and educational integrity of each charter school they sponsor. Cologne Academy will be sponsored by Friends of Education. Friends of Education’s sole purpose is to improve the education of children. Friends of Education currently sponsor eighteen Minnesota charter schools.
Cologne Academy
1221 S. Village Parkway
Cologne, MN 55322
952-466-2276
952-466-4030 (Fax)