BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL (THE "CHARTER SCHOOL") WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE PRESCHOOL EDUCATION TO STUDENTS WITH AND WITHOUT SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. THE CHARTER SCHOOL WAS INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA IN AUGUST 2003. THE SCHOOL WAS GRANTED A 15-YEAR CHARTER TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNDER THE DC PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM ACT OF 1995. THE SCHOOL PROGRAM OPENED IN AUGUST OF 2005. IN MARCH 2012, THE CHARTER SCHOOL WAS GRANTED APPROVAL BY THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD TO EXPAND INTO AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM, TO SERVE GRADES PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH. THE CHARTER SCHOOL REACHED GRADE LEVEL CAPACITY IN THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR WITH FIFTH GRADE. DURING NOVEMBER 2015, THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S LEGAL NAME WAS CHANGED FROM BRIDGES CHARTER SCHOOL TO BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL. BRIDGES' CHARTER WAS RENEWED BY THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD FOR AN ADDITIONAL 15 YEARS ON NOVEMBER 18, 2019, TO OPERATE AS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UNDER THE DC PUBLIC SCHOOL REFORM ACT OF 1995. BRIDGES PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IS UNIQUE IN THE DC EDUCATION LANDSCAPE SERVING A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN ONE SCHOOL BUILDING THAN ALL BUT ONE OTHER CHARTER SCHOOL IN DC (ST. COLETTA). BRIDGES PROVIDES A CONTINUUM OF INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND HIGH-LEVEL SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOMS. THE SCHOOL STUDENT POPULATION IS 38% STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, 52% ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND 65% STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH (LOW-INCOME). THE CHARTER SCHOOL'S ACTIVITIES ARE FUNDED PRIMARILY BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA'S PER PUPIL ALLOCATION FORMULA, SUPPLEMENTED WITH FEDERAL FUNDS ALLOCATED TO THE STATE EDUCATION AGENCY TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO SCHOOLS FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT, SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES, AND OTHER ELIGIBLE EXPENSES.