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Frequently Asked Questions
  1. What is the cost of tuition?

    2. North Side is a public school in the State of Missouri open to any age appropriate resident of the City of St. Louis. There is no charge to attend the School for residents of the City of St. Louis.

  2. What is a charter public school?

    3. Charter schools are independently operated public schools. There is no charge to parents because funding comes from state and local taxes. Charter schools must meet the same academic requirements as traditional public schools but are also directly accountable to parents.

  3. When does enrollment occur?

    4. North Side accepts enrollment application at any time.

  4. Where is the school located?

    5. North Side is located at 3033 N. Euclid, Ave., St. Louis, MO. 63115. We are located on the ECHO campus, former home of the ECHO Children's Home and ECHO Academy. The campus is situated between Kingshighway and Euclid Avenues, about three blocks south of Natural Bridge, and one block north of St. Louis Ave.

  5. What is eMINTS? (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies).

    6. This innovative process, designed by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the University of Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Higher Education, helps integrate multimedia technology into student-centered teaching practices. Utilizing laptops, interactive whiteboards, printers, scanners, digital cameras, special student workstations, and heavy faculty instruction, technology becomes a tool that helps North Side achieve our academic goals. eMINTS classrooms, now in 250 districts around Missouri, (2000 classrooms and 38,000 students), and in 13 other states, show measurable improvement in testing beyond the state norm.

  6. Is there an After-School Program?

    7. North Side has an on-site After-School program, conducted in collaboration with Better Family Life. In this Afro-centric program, there are set periods for supervised homework and active play. There are also special programs for Dance, Art, and African Music. An early evening meal is served at 5:15PM.

  7. Is the faculty of a charter school required to have the same credentials as other public school teachers throughout the City of St. Louis and State of Missouri?

    8. Yes. In the State of Missouri charter schools are required to have 80% of its teachers certified.

  8. How does a family enroll a student in North Side?

    9. There is an Enrollment tab on the North Side web site. Clicking on that tab brings down a tab that allows either an on-line enrollment or a downloadable enrollment form. Or, one can stop by the school, and pick up an enrollment form from the office. There are several requirements that must be completed before an application is accepted. Examples are immunization records, proof of City residency, and prior school records, if applicable.

  9. Where can I find contact information for faculty and staff?

    10. On our web site there is a Contacts tab. Clicking on that tab brings down a menu giving the telephone number of each staff and faculty, as well as a direct email link.

  10. What is the curriculum of the school?

    11. The curriculum of North Side Community School concentrates on the mastery of knowledge and skills in language and math. The key to learning and growth in all our subjects is in the quality of instruction.

    An hour and a half is devoted to each subject each morning.
    The language core instructional block is supplemented by a special course, Language Development, which meets twice per week and uses music, poetry, writing, and storytelling to broaden and enrich students' appreciation of and ability to use language.
    Math focuses on knowledge of numbers and the ability to use them in everyday life.
    Afternoons are devoted to science and social studies that aim to impart general knowledge in their subjects and to reinforce language and math skills taught in the morning.
    Music and art are integrated in all subjects.
    Students have gym class twice per week. Its focus is on exercise, body movement, basic skills (throwing, kicking, catching), and social skills (team-work).
    On Friday afternoons, we provide alternative learning activities designed to broaden and enrich students' knowledge and experience.
  11. How does North Side handle Special Ed students?

    12. North Side informally assesses every student when they enroll. If we determine that there are weaknesses that need to be addressed, a student is referred to our Resource teacher who, in conjunction with the child's classroom teacher, works out a schedule for both individual and small group instruction. When necessary, our Resource Resource teacher, the home room teacher, our principal, and our Executive Director work together to begin the formal psychological evaluation of the student. This process could ultimately result in the development of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) to meet the academic needs of the child.