Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester will recommend that the state approve the opening of two new charter schools and the expansion of five others, including four in Boston, his office said Tuesday.
The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will vote Feb. 23 on the charter school proposals. Chester said he would endorse plans to open the Libertas Academy Charter School in Springfield and the New Heights Charter School of Brockton. It would be Brockton’s first independent charter school.
He will also recommend that the Pioneer Charter School of Science in Everett, the Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester, and three Brooke charter schools in Boston receive grants to expand.
Libertas, in Springfield, would serve 630 students in grades 6-12 and open in 2017. New Heights would serve 735 grade 6-12 students and open in 2016. It would try to draw students from Brockton, Randolph, and Taunton, Chester’s office said.
“The commissioner’s recommendations, if approved by the full board, would give Brockton its first public charter school and Springfield families an additional public school choice,’’ Marc Kenen, executive director of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association, said in a statement. “But, it would provide only temporary relief from the enrollment cap to Boston families.’’
The five schools Chester is recommending for expansions are all hoping to increase enrollment and become K-12 schools.
Everett’s Pioneer Charter School is seeking to add 420 students in grades K-6 to add to its current 7-12 program. Neighborhood House Charter in Dorchester aims to increase its enrollment by 428 students in grades 9-12.
The three Brooke schools — BCS Roslindale, BCS Mattapan, and BCS East Boston — are hoping to consolidate into Brooke Charter School and add a single 9-12 high school with 691 students. The three K-8 campuses would remain open.
Two finalists for grants did not receive recommendations from Chester — the International Academy of Montachusett Charter School in the Fitchburg area and the Old Sturbridge Academy Charter Public School in Sturbridge. The groups will receive feedback from Chester’s office on how to improve and will still be voted on next week.
J.D. Capelouto can be reached at jd.capelouto@globe.com.
