River Grove elementary school is a tuition-free, K-5 public charter school located in Stillwater and May Township. The mission of River Grove is to utilize the area’s natural resources, history, arts, and civic stewardship of the community as a foundation for the study of language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education, art, and other curriculum subjects. The place-based learning environment will be student-centered, designed by teachers, and reinforced and supported by the local community.
Background
In the spring of 2015, a small group of community members in Marine on St. Croix, MN, began discussing an alternate education programming model. Letters of intent for the Marine Area Community School (MACS) were submitted to potential charter school authorizers in the fall, followed a formal authorizer agreement with the Minnesota Guild of Public Charter Schools. The school now has formal recognition from the Minnesota Department of Education, who has assigned the school district #4254. Our inaugural year was 2017-18. Input from the school community and broader community continues to shape the vision for the school.
River Grove is Growing Full Speed Ahead
Since the school’s inception, River Grove has rapidly grown. Starting in the 2023-24 school year, River Grove will be moving to a new location in downtown Stillwater, MN and immersing students in full-day field trips to the Manitou Environmental Learning Center in May Township, 15 minutes north of Stillwater.
Please visit this page for general information about charter schools, and this page for FAQs about MACS in particular.