Mass. Education Board Approves New Charter Schools

Update at 12:30 p.m.: The board has approved the Phoenix and Pioneer charter schools.

Original post:

The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved three new charter schools Monday night and plans to consider two more at its Tuesday morning meeting.

The approvals were for two grade 9-12 commonwealth charter schools — City on a Hill Charter Public School and City on a Hill Charter Public School II, in New Bedford and Boston — and one Horace Mann charter school, UP Academy Charter School of Dorchester, grades K-8.

On Tuesday the board is considering its two remaining finalists, Phoenix Academy Public Charter High School Springfield and Pioneer Charter School of Science II.

The board is also scheduled to vote on whether to delegate to Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester the authority to remove or continue conditions placed on charter schools.