The Baltimore County school board voted unanimously to approve a new charter school during a meeting Tuesday night.
Puzzle Pieces Learning Academy Public Charter School plans to open in the fall of the 2026-2027 school year on the 4400 block of Wilkens Avenue in Catonsville. The location appears to be on the same lot as the Our Lady of Victory Parish.
“Our vision is to create a dynamic, whole-school learning environment where students thrive academically, socially, and emotionally,” the school’s website says.
During a March school board meeting, the district’s Charter Application Review Team recommended approval on the conditions that Puzzle Pieces funds its own pre-kindergarten programs and that the school revises its operating budget plan based on grant projections from BCPS Office of Budget & Reporting.
Once fully operational, the school plans to take a holistic approach to pre-kindergarten through fifth grade education. The school plans to begin with pre-kindergarten through third grade, but will add one grade each year for two years, ending with a capacity of 316 students, according to the school district’s presentation.
“Our programs (‘Branches’) emphasize Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), community partnerships, enrichment, and high-quality early learning,” said the school’s CEO and Executive Director Chizarra Dashiell in an email to The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday.
“Ultimately, we aim to nurture each individual student (‘Leaf’) through personalized plans, inclusive support for diverse needs (including specialized education and multilingual learners), wrap-around services, and integrated arts, literacy, and SEL.”
The board did not have any discussion of the proposal before its unanimous vote Tuesday. Student member of the board Ugonma Chike-Kalu did not participate in the vote, as the student board member cannot vote on school openings or closures.
Puzzle Pieces will be the school district’s third charter school. Only one is currently in operation, Watershed Public Charter School in Windsor Mill. The school board approved its second charter school last year, The Bilingual Global Citizens Public Charter School, slated for opening in the coming school year.
“A key part of our journey has been taking the time to learn from and collaborate closely with both Baltimore County Public Schools and MSDE,” Dashiell said.
“We’re committed to being a true community partner, which includes ensuring the broader community has access to valuable resources like our planned school-based clinic services, offering immunizations, physical exams, and therapy services.”
The school’s first Community Engagement and Fundraising Committee meeting is scheduled for April 24 at 6 p.m.
“The final 30 minutes will be open for public comment, and we’ll share updates on upcoming information sessions, school tours, and other ways to get involved,” wrote Dashiell.
On the way to the school’s opening in 2026, it will continue “securing our facility, hiring dedicated staff, finalizing our unique curriculum and programs, building community partnerships, enrolling families, and establishing all necessary operations,” said Dashiell.
“We are excited and committed to creating this supportive, enriching school.”
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