Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School sees enrollment increase:
The school has 40 more students than the previous year

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MIDLAND (September 25, 2017) – Enrollment at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland has increased from last year, putting the school at full capacity currently.

The performing arts school now has 765 students in grades 7-12, an increase of 40 students from last year, according to Patrick Poling, CEO of the charter school.

Lincoln Park is a tuition-free public charter school that opened its doors in 2006. Today, students from more than 65 surrounding school districts attend the school.

“We’re seeing a positive trend in steady growth that will only continue as more students choose to come to Lincoln Park,” Poling said.

The school has increased in enrollment each year of its existence, and has more than triple in size since its first year of operation.

Lincoln Park offers majors in theater, media arts, literary arts, music and dance, as well as a rigorous academic program. To be accepted into the school, students must complete an arts evaluation.

As the school has increased in size, it has continued to upgrade its facilities and technology.

Recent upgrades to the Media Department’s Design Lab, and to the Music Department’s technology labs, will help expand teaching and accommodate learning in the new millennium, Poling said.

Design Lab upgrades include new desks and 17 new Mac computers, an essential tool for graphic designers, according to Cassandra Patten, director of the school’s Media Arts Department and a graphic design teacher. Patten said the lab upgrades will empower students in college and professionally.

In the music department, the keyboard lab is now home to seven Apple iMac workstations featuring music notation, audio production, and sequencing software, which enhances the department’s composition and music technology offerings.

Further supporting the commitment to integrating technology into the classroom, the school also invested in more than 700 Chrome Books to support students in the classroom at a one-to-one ratio, said Dr. Lindsay Rodgers, the charter school’s principal.

Within the coming month, the staff will be building Google Classrooms to further enhance the educational experience, Rodgers said.

Lincoln Park is also continuing its commitment to STEAM education, according to Rodgers.  The school used federal grants to support purchases of additional 3D printers, computers and interactive laboratory kits. Those funds also supported a “makeover” of a current classroom to make it a more functional space for science education through hands-on, laboratory-based learning.

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School is located in a working performing arts center, equipped with numerous amenities. In addition, through innovative partnerships with such institutions as the Berklee College of Music and the Community College of Beaver County, Lincoln Park students can receive college-level arts and academic instruction at no cost while still in high school.

The school utilizes a highly-trained and committed staff, which includes a number of professional artists. This instruction is supplemented with master classes conducted by outside professionals, college professors and industry leaders in various fields. Individualized educational strategies are tailored to each student’s needs, interests and abilities, and are designed to empower every student to succeed.

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