By Christine Erntson, director of communication and community engagement
September 11, 2023 | 4 p.m.

Less than a year after breaking ground, PACT Charter School opened its doors on September 11 to an entirely new student experience – a second campus separating the Elementary and Secondary students. The expansion is part of a $41 million project that built a new building and renovated the current building where PACT has housed K-12 students since moving to Ramsey in 2004.

The new Secondary Campus serves as both a middle and high school. Located at 7729 - 161st Avenue Northwest in Ramsey, it is less than three miles from their Elementary Campus. The new campus boasts an auditorium, football stadium, track, media center, and industrial art classrooms. It also has a wing just for grade 6 students as a way to transition them more slowly into the middle school environment. 

Not to be left behind, the Elementary Campus at 7250 E. Ramsey Parkway NW in Ramsey also received a summer facelift with a second playground and remodeled classrooms. The Elementary Campus is located in the 420-acre COR Development near a park, amphitheater, and creek. Many parks and an extensive trail system are readily accessible and connected by a trail network that links The COR to the regional parks and trail system. 

As a school of choice, PACT is managed by a lottery system and waitlist that has boasted significant numbers since opening in 1994. At the urging of parents, the PACT School Board of Directors decided to expand in 2021 to allow more students to get off the waitlist and into the classrooms. Along with the expansion came the opportunity to broaden program offerings, build extracurricular programs, and increase its reach and reputation in the community. With excitement and support from the Ramsey community, PACT had no problem filling its enrollment openings this year, and it began the 2023-2024 school year with a maxed-out enrollment of 1,087 students and 500 potential students waiting in the wings. PACT also filled all of its new teacher positions and, on day one, were fully staffed and ready to teach!

But the expansion is not over yet. The K-12 enrollment openings will steadily grow each year until PACT reaches its goal of 1,500 students in 2028. 

PACT Charter School is located in Ramsey, Minnesota, and is authorized by Volunteers of America–Minnesota.

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