STEM Charter Academy earns accreditation

The STEM Charter Academy in Rathdrum has earned a new recognition, becoming one of about 200 schools in the country to earn accreditation for its STEM curriculum from Cognia, a nonprofit organization that provides accreditation and certification services.

Principal Scott Thomson said the Charter Academy is the only K-12 STEM school in Idaho. There are fewer than half a dozen others in the state that are K-5, K-6, K-8 or 9-12.

Thomson said his school isn’t just limited to STEM clubs or occasional classes like most public schools. “We’re a STEM school from morning to night,” he said.

The STEM Charter Academy opened to students in the fall of 2012 as a K-8 school. The school now has about 500 students in grades K-12. “It’s been a progression,” said Vice Principal Travis Swick. “We feel small. It’s like a family here.”

Thomson and his wife, Colleen, founded the school. They both previously worked in the Lakeland School District for a combined 33 years. “We taught fifth and sixth grade next to each other,” he said.

They both used as much hands-on STEM learning in their classrooms as they could but wanted to do more. “Since my kids were born people in education have been saying we need more math and science in schools,” Thomson said. “That was 35 years ago and nobody’s been doing anything.”

He and his wife have been advocates of STEM education, helping write legislation in 2018 to allow STEM diplomas in the state.

“It’s hard to get kids interested in math and science without showing them why it’s important,” he said. “That’s where the projects come in.”

Too often project based learning is reserved for gifted students, Thomson said. “That’s what makes the school different,” he said. “Here, 100 percent of the kids do projects.”

It is those projects that seem to appeal to the students. Junior Caleb Simmons started attending the academy in the fourth grade, along with his five siblings. “It’s definitely a lot of hands on experience,” he said. “You have to be doing something at all times. You have to be participating.”

Junior Jonathan Rec also started at the STEM Charter Academy in the fourth grade. He said in public school he would often finish his work early and then would sit around. “I came here because I was bored in other schools,” he said. “I wanted something that would challenge me.”

Junior Nick Smith said he likes that he’s able to get more individual attention that is part of attending a smaller school. He attended public school through the sixth grade. “It’s definitely 10 times more group based,” he said of classes at the Charter Academy. “You have to learn to work with people.”

Many of the classes the high school students take get them dual college credit. Each senior graduates with an associate’s degree in addition to a high school diploma.

While the emphasis is certainly on STEM, students have access to the same types of classes available in public schools, including choir and band. But the math and science requirements are stricter, both requiring four years of classes. Students also take five STEM electives. The school week also looks a little different, with students in class from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Since the school is a charter school it is funded by the state. It’s open to anyone who wants to attend. Out-of-state residents can attend, but they have to pay monthly tuition that varies by grade and is set by the state, Thomson said.

The school is continuing to expand. Plans are being finalized to add a 10,000-square-foot building to be a maker space and project lab, which is expected to be complete in the fall of 2021. The academy is also planning to begin all day kindergarten in the fall.

“It’s been a ride,” Thomson said. “It’s been great.”