NEW ROOTS CHARTER SCHOOL

Co-produces Rootstock, an annual one-day festival on the Ithaca Commons that celebrates youth artists, musicians, dancers, and entrepreneurs in the Finger Lakes region, hosted annually including in 2024 and prior years.

Provides interdisciplinary instruction in geography, history, social studies, technology, and science using project-based and place-based learning approaches, with an emphasis on sustainability and systems thinking. Utilizes 80-minute class periods to support fieldwork and hands-on learning.

Offers high school credit courses to 8th-grade students, enables concurrent enrollment in college courses via CollegeNow at Tompkins Cortland Community College, and supports every student in earning college credit and achieving college acceptance. Also launched EarthForce, a youth workforce development program providing internships and work-based learning.

Hosts open house events for prospective families, Winter Art & Music Celebrations showcasing student-created art, music, poetry, and food, and invites community members to Board of Trustees meetings. Also offers scheduled conversations with the school team for prospective families.

Engages students in service learning that applies academic learning to real-world settings across farms, businesses, and community organizations. Includes initiatives such as a public mural project in downtown Ithaca completed by 12 students in Spring 2025.

Provides daily free breakfast and lunch made from scratch using local whole foods without processed, packaged, or pre-made ingredients, minimizing sugar, additives, and preservatives. Sources food locally and serves meals to all students and staff, including through the Farm to School program.

Operates as a small school with a design capacity of up to 40 students per grade and expanded programming in 2025 to include a Montessori-inspired middle school for grades 6–8. Also runs the LEAP (Learning + Empowerment = Achieving Potential) high school preparatory program launched in 2017-18.

Provides Chromebooks and G Suite for Education accounts to students in grades 9–12 and uses ARP Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to mitigate learning loss and support student emotional and social wellbeing.

Operates the Newts Grocery Store program, which provides weekly free grocery access to the community, complementing its daily farm-to-school meal service for students and staff.

Supports alumni who are active as innovators, environmental stewards, entrepreneurs, college students, and community leaders working toward just and sustainable communities.

Ensures all students meet or exceed New York State Learning Standards and earn a Regents diploma through a graduation portfolio. Achieved 100% graduation rate for its senior class, including 100% of seniors of color, in 2026.

Renovated the Clinton House to include a music room, yoga studio, and art room while preserving historic character, and uses off-campus facilities such as the Greek Orthodox Church, Community School for Music and Arts, Southside Community Center, and local natural areas for meal service, community meetings, and physical education.

Had its policies and practices for new school approval, school oversight, and charter renewal featured by the U.S. Department of Education in the report “Fostering Innovation and Excellence,” contributing to national dialogue on charter school quality.