The decision on how and where to school your kids can definitely be complicated. There are options in our county as diverse as our children. Our family landed on Burke County’s only public charter school, New Dimensions School. Let me familiarize you with the basics of how charter schools operate. A public charter school, such as New Dimensions Charter School (NDS), is tuition-free and open to all students. NDS receives public funding and can also gain grant and private funding. They have to abide by similar expectations, to the county public schools in terms of testing and meeting standards, but they have more freedom to change and adapt to the needs of their teachers and students. The school leadership (director and administrators) are particularly engaged as they lead in making decisions which result in faculty retention, high student performance, and satisfied parents.
New Dimensions is a K-8 public Charter School. Open enrollment runs from February-April and results in a lottery if there are more applicants than space. Class size is kept small to enable teachers to provide affective education to each student. The school offers special classes for all students in music, art, physical education, Spanish, computers and library time. There are also athletic opportunities throughout the year for students interested in team sports. The flexibility of the school means that students do lots of hands-on learning and are able to go on frequent and varied field trips to coincide with study units. In addition to the quality academics there are many clubs and extracurricular activities including an array of sports (starting in kindergarten), drama club, ASL club, and art club.
From a parenting standpoint I love the open door policy of the school. Parents are invited and encouraged to volunteer around the school and in the classroom. The community aspect at NDS is undeniable. This coincides with the curriculum the school adapts into a monthly event in which the entire student body and faculty celebrate volunteerism, encourage school spirit, individual responsibility and character development. These “Tribe Meetings” are a highlight of each month for everyone.
No school is perfect and if you are considering NDS as a possible fit for your student(s) there are a few things to know. NDS does not provide bus service so every student needs reliable transportation daily to and from school. There is a fee based afterschool program available. Each child must bring a packed lunch because the school does not have a functional cafeteria to provide hot lunches. The school currently only offers classes for kindergarten through eighth grade which makes it necessary to transition your student into another school setting at some point. If your child has special needs with extensive learning disabilities and/or physical limitations NDS may not be the right fit. It would be important to take the time to discuss your specific needs with the faculty and administration before making a decision.
The past two years have affirmed our confidence in NDS as a quality choice for our family’s educational needs. The best way to find out if NDS is where your student(s) need to be is by taking a tour. A visit to NDS will answer your questions and give you a full picture of daily life in a charter school. Open enrollment is open now through the end of April.
New Dimensions School is located at 550 Lenoir Road Morganton, NC 28655 and you can call (828) 437-5753 to schedule a tour.
Please note: Morganton Moms is sharing a series from local area moms who have volunteered (or been recruited to volunteer) to share their stories on how they selected the educational path which was the best fit for their family. Please note that we are in no way endorsing one method or approach over another, nor does Morganton Moms share all of the opinions represented in this series. Our goal is to share personal perspectives from around the community so you might feel more empowered as you approach your own research on local educational opportunities.
Jessica is a wife, mama to three wild and wonderful kiddos, writer, and birth doula. Originally from the eastern part of North Carolina she has spent the majority of the last 16 years living in Western, NC. The last 3 years have been growing a life and her family right here in Morganton. She loves meeting new mama friends, takes her coffee black, and thinks she is the funniest person she knows.