City Academy High School

City Academy High School
Main location of City Academy High School in Wilder Recreation Center
Address
958 Jessie Street Saint Paul, Minnesota 55130 United States
Coordinates	44°58′11.5″N 93°4′37″W / 44.969861°N 93.07694°W / 44.969861; -93.07694Coordinates: 44°58′11.5″N 93°4′37″W / 44.969861°N 93.07694°W / 44.969861; -93.07694
Information
Type	Charter school
Established	1992
School district	Independent (Charter school)
Principal	Milo Cutter
Faculty	13
Grades	10–12
Enrollment	117
Campus	Various urban places
Website	http://www.cityacademy.org/

City Academy High School is a charter school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. The school was created a year after charter school legislation in Minnesota was passed. As a charter school, it operates independently, but is sponsored by the College of St. Catherine. On September 7, 1992, City Academy became the first charter school in the United States to open.

City Academy operates in a variety of buildings in Saint Paul. The majority of classes are held at a local recreation center in Saint Paul. City Academy enrolls students 15–21 years of age who have previously dropped out of school or are not currently attending school. The school was created to aid students in at-risk demographics.

In 1991 Minnesota became the first state in the United States to pass legislation that allowed charter schools. Several proposals for schools were quickly proposed, including City Academy. The school was the third charter school approved by the Minnesota Department of Education, but the first to open. The proposal won support from mayor James Scheibel, several neighborhood parents, and Northern States Power Company. However the charter school received opposition from the Saint Paul Federation of Teachers.

Milo Cutter (teacher), Barron Chapman (recreation leader), and Terry Kraabel (teacher) were the three people who started the school. The initial proposal for the school was designed for students who have dropped out of school. The school was also designed for students whose homes were wracked by poverty or substance abuse. The proposal included having the students do things such as building homes for Habitat for Humanity, learning art at local pottery studios, and studying biology at local nature centers. The proposal allowed students to work toward their high school diploma or try to get back into a more traditional high school. The proposal was to serve 30 Saint Paul students ages 13 to 19 who have dropped out of school or are at risk for dropping out. Since then, the school has expanded, but is kept small to keep small class sizes.

Northern States Power eventually donated computers to the school and provided $30,000 in startup money. The predicted annual budget was $200,000. The school received about $120,000 in state education funding, the remainder coming from fundraising efforts. City Academy was modeled after a program called Power League a year before. Plans are for the year-round school to open in August, said Milo Cutter, Power League director. In addition to offering classes in academic subjects, the program offers support groups, counseling, individualized case management, job skills training, community service, and recreational activities. On September 7, 1992, City Academy became the first charter school in the United States to open.