Charter school proposals would add nearly 5,400 seats

Four groups are looking to open new charter schools in Massachusetts and four existing charter schools are hoping to boost their enrollment. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received proposals for new schools in Lynn, Haverhill, New Bedford and Lawrence.The state's existing 78 charter schools serve more than 42,000 students -- 4.5 percent of all the public school students in Massachusetts. If approved, the four proposed new schools would serve an [...]