Hampden Charter School of Science(HCSS) is a top-ranking free college-preparatory public school founded in 2009 and serving families with students in grades 6th-12th at two campuses in Western Massachusetts.

We respectfully request the Massachusetts DESE board's approval to open a STEM-based Elementary school by expanding our grades from 6-12 to K-12 in Chicopee, MA.

HCSS wishes to make this change because of the demand from the families in the communities to open a STEM-based elementary school and fulfill better our college preparatory education mission.

We have observed that the students arriving at the middle school (at grades 6-8) and who later proceed to high school (grades 9-12) are often underprepared. They find it difficult to cope with the college rigor of STEM courses. Thus, the necessity of establishing a STEM-based elementary school within the system stems from the need to give students a stronger math and science foundation at younger ages before they proceed to middle school, high school, and eventually college.

The elementary school will serve as a building block to success within the children's lives and careers in the long run. HCSS East's elementary school will help students establish a solid foundation from their early years rather than make up for what they lost in elementary and middle school.