Global Learning Charter Public School (GLCPS), a tuition-free public charter school that currently services 500 students in grades 5-12, has received a pledge of $75,000 from Bristol County Savings Bank and its Foundation towards their $8 million capital campaign to fund the renovation of a historic building located at 106 Bullard Street in New Bedford creating “One School, One Campus.”
The One School, One Campus project will lead to the rehabilitation of an addition three story, 18,132 square foot building for GLCPS students, staff and community members. This project will allow GLCPS to reallocate classroom space and offer students an education experience that remains rich in technology and on the leading edge of education innovation. The expanded classroom space will feature science labs, dedicated art and music space, foreign language classrooms, multi-use classrooms and teacher and community collaboration space. The renovation will also include necessary upgrades to bring the building up to code.
Prior to the 2019-2020 school year, GLCPS was split between two campuses, approximately 2 miles apart, creating a travel interruption during the school day for high school students that split their time between both campuses. With the new lease in place GLCPS will embark on a campaign to renovate and upgrade the facility creating “One School, One Campus.”
As a Public Charter School, GLCPS does not receive the same facilities support as traditional districts through local tax levies and the Massachusetts School Building Authority, ultimately placing the financial burden directly on the school. GLCPS will only be able to achieve the expanded campus with the support of the local community, individual donors and private foundations.
“The Bank is proud to support Global Learning Charter Public School and its effort to expand and consolidate its campus to enhance the learning experience for its students in New Bedford,” said Patrick Murray, President & CEO of Bristol County Savings Bank and President of the Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation. “Education and literacy are a key focus of our Foundation within the communities we serve so helping to fund this important project is a perfect fit with our mission.”
“We thank Bristol County Savings Bank for their very generous pledge to our school,” said Dr. Stephen Furtado, Executive Director of GLCPS. “The Bank is a great supporter of education and they have shown a commitment to serving and our community. With the support of the business community and individuals we will create a truly wonderful learning environment for our students and staff.”
About Global Learning Public Charter School
Open to New Bedford residents, Global Learning Charter Public School (GLCPS) is a tuition-free public charter school that currently serves 500 students in grades 5-12. Launched in 2002 as a Horace Mann charter school, GLCPS became a Commonwealth charter school in 2006. In order to generate a culture of personalization, the school setting and class sizes are deliberately small. Students, faculty and administration know each other well and teachers are able to tailor the curriculum to the needs and level of each student. GLCPS offers an exciting and challenging interdisciplinary curriculum that follows and builds upon the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Students learn to work collaboratively in teams, use technology meaningfully in their coursework, strengthen all elements of their communication skills, as well as develop the necessary skills to become engaged and ethical contributors to a global society. GLCPS capitalizes on the exceptional resources of the region (for example, marine sciences), and ties these resources to their curriculum and instruction. For further information please contact Amey Bissonnette, Director of Development, at 508-991-4105 or visit www.glcps.org.
About Bristol County Savings Bank and the Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation
The Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation was established in 1996 as part of the Bristol County Savings Bank’s 150th Anniversary celebration. Its intent is to fund the needs that contribute to the economic and the social well-being of the people and institutions located in the greater Taunton/Attleboro Region, the greater New Bedford/Dartmouth Region, the Fall River Region and the Northern, Rhode Island Region, with particular emphasis in the areas of education and literacy, economic development and housing for the low- to moderate-income population. Since the Foundation was formed in 1996, more than $24 million has been committed to hundreds of different non-profits. In 2020, the Foundation awarded $2.2 million to various 501(c)(3) organizations.
Bristol County Savings Bank, a state-chartered savings bank and the wholly-owned subsidiary of Beacon Bancorp, is a full-service banking institution with approximately $2.5 billion in assets. Founded in 1846, Bristol County Savings Bank has expanded its branch network to include 18 full-service offices in Attleboro, Dartmouth, East Freetown, Fall River, Franklin, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Raynham, Rehoboth and Taunton, Massachusetts, and Cumberland, Greenville and Pawtucket, Rhode Island as well as a Loan Center in Warwick, Rhode Island. The Bank also operates limited service educational branches at Taunton and Attleboro High Schools. In addition to traditional banking services, Bristol County Savings Bank offers wealth management services through its affiliate Bristol Wealth Group. The Main Office and Corporate Headquarters of Bristol County Savings Bank are located on Broadway in Taunton, Massachusetts. For more information on Bristol County Savings Bank, visit www.bristolcountysavings.com.
