Northern Lights Community School (NLCS) is a public charter school for grades 6-12. Charter schools are independent public schools and are considered by the state of Minnesota to be independent school districts. A charter school is tuition-free and open to any student in the state. Charter schools offer parents, teachers, community organizations, and individuals the opportunity to design, develop, and implement new, innovative, and creative ways to educate children. Charter schools provide the opportunity for new ideas and visions in education to take shape. They are an opportunity to involve stakeholders (students, parents, community) in the education process in new and meaningful ways.

NLCS emphasizes project-based learning and strong connections to the community, using community members and organizations as teaching resources for students. The goal of the school is to provide an opportunity for students working at all levels of academic achievement, who are looking for a smaller, more personalized environment.

Currently we have 100+ students enrolled at NLCS. We are now accepting applications for the 2011 - 2012 school year. If you would like to know more about this process, you can find enrollment forms on this site.

Northern Lights Community School Mission Statement

Northern Lights Community School will create a safe, small and enthusiastic

 learning community in which all students are known well, taught as individuals,

and encouraged to be good stewards of our environment.