Christa McAuliffe Charter School

Christa McAuliffe Charter School (District)

www.mcauliffecharter.org

Charter School 329 Students

Middle School 6th - 8th

School Overview

The Christa McAuliffe Charter Public School, located in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a tuition-free public charter school serving students in grades 6 through 8. Named after the teacher-astronaut who perished in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the school is deeply committed to her legacy of curiosity, exploration, and experiential learning. It operates with a focus on an expeditionary learning model, which emphasizes rigorous academic standards combined with character development and active engagement with the local and global community.

The school’s academic approach is characterized by "expeditions"—long-term, interdisciplinary projects that connect curriculum to real-world issues. By prioritizing small class sizes, crew-based advisory groups, and a culture of mutual respect, the McAuliffe School aims to foster a supportive environment where students take ownership of their education. Through this hands-on methodology, the school strives to prepare its middle schoolers not only for high school success but also to become thoughtful, contributing citizens who embody the school’s core values of scholarship, integrity, and perseverance.

329

Total Students

31.9

Full-Time Teachers

10.3

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Christa McAuliffe Charter School
Demographic	Student Count
White	129
Hispanic	114
Black	26
Asian	22
Two or More	29
American Indian	4

White
129 (39.8 %)
Hispanic
114 (35.2 %)
Two or More
29 (9.0 %)
Black
26 (8.0 %)
Asian
22 (6.8 %)
American Indian
4 (1.2 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Middle School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Charter School
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Christa McAuliffe Charter School (District)
Phone:	(508)879-9000
Website:	http://www.mcauliffecharter.org
Grade Range:	6th - 8th
Total Students:	329
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	31.9
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	10.3
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes under Community Eligibility Option (CEO)
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 6 96

Grade 7 128

Grade 8 105