Mission
Our mission is to empower students to find joy in learning and develop the academic efficacy necessary to prepare them for the rigors of a college education and beyond.
Vision
The school’s vision is to be a proof-point for Minnesota that all children, regardless of zip code or socioeconomic status, deserve a high quality education, and that all students can achieve a high level of academic success when we hold high expectations for them and honor their potential for greatness.
Our School
General
West Side Summit is a free, public charter school serving Kindergarten through 8th grade classes.
We provide bus transportation to any child living in St. Paul, West St. Paul and South St. Paul. Many of our families live in the West Side and West 7th areas of St. Paul and in West St. Paul, but we welcome all children in our current grade levels.
Our school day runs from 9:15am-3:45pm each day. We have free before school care from 8:00am-9:00am each day. Our annual calendar matches the larger St. Paul Public Schools district with the exception of one professional development day during the 2-18-2019 school year.
Breakfast and Lunch
West Side Summit provides free breakfast and lunch to all Scholars. Done Right Food is our school meal provider. They provide nutritious and delicious meals made from scratch! Our lunches are served with fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and we meet the dietary needs of all our Scholars.
Uniforms
Our uniform consists of a West Side Summit polo shirt and khaki, blue or black dress pants. We provide multiple opportunities for families to order shirts through our front office and work to ensure our shirts and sweatshirts are affordable for any family. Students are not required to wear their uniforms on Fridays.
Technology
West Side Summit has enough Chromebooks for each child in the school each day. Students read books and watch family films licensed by our media provider.
School Culture
West Side Summit uses Responsive Classroom©, techniques from Safe and Civil Schools©, as well as Curriculum from Second Step© school-wide to help students grow and mature in their social and emotional learning.
Why is an innovative school like West Side Summit needed in St. Paul?
West Side children are being left behind…
– One-third of low-income students attending West Side elementary schools are proficient in math. Barely half are proficient in reading.
– 28% of West Side middle and high school students are proficient in reading and 14% are proficient in math.
– 16% percent of West Side residents 25 years and older have a bachelor’s degree compared to 23% of all St. Paul residents.
– 49% of West Side residents 25 or older have only a high school degree or less, compared to 36% of all St. Paul residents.
(Data as of 2012)