Frequently Asked Questions

What is a charter school?

A charter school is a type of public school. Charter schools provide education through a "charter", which is a type of contract granted by a chartering entity such as the State Board of Education or the board of trustees of an independent school district.

How is the open-enrollment charter school funded?

Like independent school districts, open-enrollment charter schools receive state funds based on the average daily attendance (ADA) of students. Unlike independent school districts, however, open-enrollment charter schools do not receive funds from local tax revenue and do not have access to state facilities allotments. Open-enrollment charter schools may also receive funds from private funding sources.

Who can attend a charter school?

Charter schools are public schools of choice. Any student who lives in the charter school's school district and who submits a timely application may attend a charter school. If the number of applications exceeds the school's capacity, applicants will be selected through a lottery process. A charter school may not have admission criteria.

What are the times of operation?

Classes / Instructional time start at 7:45 AM - 3:05 PM. After-school is between 3:15 PM and 6:00 PM (Mon-Fri).

What grade levels do you serve?

SST Northwest serves students starting from Pre-K to 8th grade.

Are students required to wear a uniform?

Yes, students in elementary grades (Kindergarten - 5th grade) are required to wear the SST red uniform tops and their choice of khaki, black or navy blue pants. Middle school students (6th - 8th grade) are required to wear the blue SST uniform tops and their choice of khaki, black or navy blue pants. The SST uniform tops can be purchased at our front office. Information about accommodations and additional uniform and dress code requirements are found in the SST Parent/Student Handbook.

Does SST provide any extracurricular activities?

Yes. We believe that learning should always be accompanied with exploration. Therefore, SST will strive to provide as many opportunities as possible for the students to gain extra experiences. Field trips, sports activities, after school tutorials, and chorus groups are a few of the many possibilities School of Science and Technology will provide.

Do you charge tuition?

No, SST Schools don`t charge tuition because we are a state funded public school.

Are the students tested to be accepted to the school?

SST Schools do not test students as part of the admission process.

What about transportation?

School of Science and Technology is not able to provide transportation at this time. That's because the school is not zoned like traditional public schools, which makes a large number of transportation zones. The number of students from the same transportation zone is not yet sufficient to make the transportation available to our parents at a reasonable cost. Therefore you are responsible for your own transportation.

What are the lunch policies?

Parents are able to apply through the school website to see if their child is eligible for free or reduced lunches. Lunch applications will be accepted after August 1st. To view more details in regards to the school lunch policies, please click " Lunch Info Here" to guide you to the school lunch website.

Lunch Info Here

Students will have the option to bring a packed lunch from home or grab a catered lunch tray from our cafeteria.

*Please keep in mind that there are no microwaves accessible for students to warm up their lunches from home*

Do you offer tutoring?

Core subject teachers offer tutoring for students in need after school at set times of the year. Middle school students are also assigned a lab class to help with Math or Reading, based on assessment data.

Do you offer Special Education services, Dyslexia and 504?

We want all of our students to be successful while being in the classroom environment. Our campus provides inclusion and resource support with a special education teacher or paraprofessional.

Student's services are based on student need. We provide related services of speech therapy, counseling, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.

SST provides students with disabilities appropriate educational services designed to meet the individual needs of such students to the same extent as the needs of students without disabilities.

Please hover over the question and click the hyperlink for more more information about our program!

Do you offer English Second Language (ESL)?

The SST ESL program provides a comfortable and fun learning environment for students to receive one on one or small group instruction based on their individual language level. In addition, we incorporate movement and technological support to help students succeed on classroom work.

With a multilingual teaching staff, we know that learning and mastering a new language has frustrations; therefore, we also focus on the emotional well being of our students. We are a close family that cares and looks out for all of the students in our ESL program.

Do you offer services to Gifted and Talented students?

SST is committed to providing a rigorous, high-quality education to all its students. To meet the needs of those who show advancement in certain areas, SST provides Gifted and Talented Education, or GATE, beginning with students as young as kindergarten. Parents and staff are able to nominate students once each semester for testing through Cogat.

Do you offer summer programs?

SST offers a variety of summer enrichment camps and events.

What is your disciplinary approach?

We use a restorative discipline approach to helping students. Students will not learn and succeed unless they feel safe and are in a safe environment. Student safety and well-being is the cornerstone of our SST policy that is tough on bullying and other negative behaviors. Additionally, SST's focus on family dynamics helps to identify and address situations that may lead to student bullying and potential disciplinary issues.