Two Missoula charter schools and three Ravalli County charter schools will start this fall after approval by the Board of Public Education on Friday.

Missoula TEACH (Teaching Excellence in the Arts and Creative Harmony) Academy will bring a knowledge-based, arts-integrated experience for the school district’s early literacy program and for kindergarten through fifth grade while providing an innovative approach to attracting future teachers, according to the proposal.

The district hopes the charter school will help address declines in student attendance and engagement noted since the COVID-19 pandemic. 35% of elementary students in the Missoula County Public School District miss 10% or more of their school days, with many not feeling engaged in the classroom, according to district data.

Secondly, the school will help address a decline in teacher preparation programs across Montana. It will offer internships to high schoolers interested in teaching through a dual credit pathway with an eventual university collaboration planned to develop paid internship opportunities.

Connect Academy expands the existing Missoula Online Academy established by MCPS during the pandemic, by adding grades 6 through 8 to the remote learning option. The charter school will allow the district to better meet student needs with individualized courses and accelerated learning possibilities, according to the proposal.

Missoulian: 2 Missoula, 3 Bitterroot charter schools opening doors next fall