By Christine Erntson, marketing and communications coordinator
October 7, 2022 | 4 p.m.
PACT CHARTER SCHOOL BREAKS GROUND ON NEW SECONDARY CAMPUS
Groundbreaking Ceremony Kicks Off $41 Million Expansion
Ramsey, Minnesota, October 7, 2022 - On Thursday, October 6, 2022, PACT Charter School broke ground on their new Secondary Campus in Ramsey, Minnesota. Hundreds gathered to celebrate the occasion in a groundbreaking ceremony that included students, parents, staff, and local and state officials. Guest speakers included Senator Jim Abeler (R-Minn), a founder of PACT; Jason Tossey, Vice Chair of the PACT School Board of Directors; Romelle Pornschloegl, Executive Director of Secondary Education; and Mayor Mark E. Kuzma, City of Ramsey.
As a founder of PACT, Senator Jim Abeler was instrumental in creating a unique school model of parents partnering with teachers to be involved in decisions regarding their children’s education. In 1994, PACT opened in the old Anoka Post Office as a K-7 school with 84 students. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Abeler shared about PACT’s beginnings. “You have an idea and get inspired to start it, but you have no idea where it’s going to go and what it will turn into, and then cool things like this can happen,” said Abeler.
As PACT grew, they moved to Ramsey in 2004 and built a 72,000-square-foot building that educates nearly 700 students, with hundreds more on the waiting list established by the annual enrollment lottery. Deciding it was time to get students off the waiting list and into the classrooms, PACT leadership took action in 2021 and retained the services of J.B. Vang Development Management Services to assist with the expansion project and Pope Design Group for architecture and design.
Romelle Pornschloegl, PACT’s Executive Director of Elementary Education, reminded the crowd that “distance is a state of mind.” She shared, “this is an opportunity to expand the definition of our school by offering more courses, more sports, and more events while creating a place for Secondary students to call their own. Our roots are firmly planted in the foundation of the Elementary program, and no matter how many buildings we have and how many miles we are apart, we will follow the path set almost three decades ago by staying true to our core mission and vision and focusing on pursuing academics and character together.”
The new Secondary Campus is located at 7633 - 161st Avenue Northwest next to Central Park in Ramsey and is just 4 miles from the current location. The site is filled with beautiful landscapes and will house students in grades 6-12 at both a middle and high school. Plans include an auditorium, football stadium, track, media center, and industrial art classrooms. The new building will open in the fall of 2023 and is the only middle and high school located within the City of Ramsey.
Currently serving as a K-12 building, the current PACT building will be reconfigured and renovated as the Elementary Campus serving students in grades K-5. 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 network of trails that link The COR to the regional parks and trail system.
Both locations will allow PACT to double the number of students in K-12 to over 1200 by 2028, if not sooner.
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Resources:
Groundbreaking Ceremony Photo Gallery