Sizer School families will be starting the new school year with even more programs, classes and opportunities. Not just for 2026-2027, but for years to come.

"In 2027, Sizer School will be celebrating 25 years and we have grown in leaps and bounds throughout that time, even during the tumultuous years of COVID-19," says Executive Director Michelle Paranto.

"That first year back from quarantine we had a student leadership group of 3. We had a Homecoming and Prom where students couldn't be within 6 feet of each other. And now, our Ambassador group is over 30 strong, representing every grade level, and our school community is closer than ever and offers so much more. We deliver an educational experience personalized by the students themselves that puts their goals at the center of the school."

Going into the new school year, Sizer is adding several new staff members and expanding/adding more to the school year for multiple grade levels. There will be new offerings in Technology & Engineering as well as Health Sciences & Careers. New courses like Advanced Lab Techniques, a Sculpture Lab, and a Technology Lab are being added as the first step in a multi-year rollout of even more experiential learning opportunities that will include Senior year internships and externships.

"Statistically speaking, research over and over again supports project-based learning for the significant positive impacts it has on academic achievement and inspiring independent curiosity. It also keeps students active in their own education," said Paranto.

Adding, "At Sizer, we don't tell our students that they can change the world, we show them how."

In order to offer families of North Central Massachusetts an education alternative that meets student needs in ways that large classroom settings cannot, the school was chartered in 2001 as a North Central Charter Essential School (NCCES). It opened its doors to students in 2002 and began engaging students utilizing the principles put forth by the Coalition of Essential Schools, created by leading educational visionaries and reformers Ted and Nancy Sizer. NCCES offered free, personalized, hands-on education that sent graduates into the world who could think for themselves, who cared about others and acted creatively and responsibly in the world.

Sizer expanded quickly and by 2005 had gone from serving grades 7, 8 and 9 only to include a program building strong engagement and critical thinking skills for students in grades 7 to 12.

In 2014, through the generosity of an anonymous donor, a permanent school building was constructed and the Class of 2015 was the first to graduate from the renamed Sizer School, A North Central Charter Essential School.

State-of-the-art equipment, laboratories, and classrooms designed for creativity and movement--the new school building on 500 Rindge Road in Fitchburg was a true gift and is well cared for to this day by the whole community. In recent years, the school has added an outdoor classroom and made many other internal advancements like adding live-streaming capabilities to the gym for basketball games and community events and upgrading theater lighting and sound.

According to Director of Community Development, Communications and Recruitment Lindsay Alweiss, "Our school is based on best practices proven to empower and engage all types of learners."

"We are not a specialized education facility," she adds. "We are a school for ALL students who want an education built for them and their future success. We excel at meeting students where they are and personalizing their education."

In 2025 Sizer School was recognized by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as being one of only 13 schools/districts in Massachusetts to reclaim pre-pandemic MCAS levels in both English and Math.

That same year, Sizer entered into a "Fitchburg Promise" agreement with Fitchburg State University. Designed to remove barriers, simplify access, and guarantee admission to students in good standing, any Fitchburg resident enrolled at Sizer who maintains a 2.25 GPA is guaranteed admission to Fitchburg State and may attend tuition and fee-free, as long as they remain in good standing.

Sizer has also made a name for itself on the court, as the Sizer School Swarm varsity basketball team has made it into the state tournament for the last two years in a row and in its first year, the middle school Swarm Team made it to the semi-finals.

In preparation for the new year, the Sizer School Student Ambassadors are hosting the school's first Summer Fest on August 14 for the Sizer community as well as their family and friends. This event will include games, food trucks, and more.

Guests and vendors at the event will include Pops Sweet-Harts/Ice Cream Truck, The Sweetest Place Fancy Fizz, L&K 3D Printing with fidgets and squishees, Heavenly Dogs & Catering Food Truck, El Punto Latino Food Truck, 123 Grow Childcare Center, The Fitchburg Fire Department, and ABA Centers for America.

"We will also have the Animal Craze Baby Animal Farm for families to enjoy, which All One Bank has graciously helped sponsor!" said Alweiss. "Our own students drive the community building at Sizer. All of our events are student-led, from the Craft Fair in November to Art & Culture Night in April and everything in between. This year students are planning a Charity Ball for Homecoming, a Cabaret performance in theater, and they are working on a student news program. We've also got an overnight field trip and end-of-the-year ceremony being planned by the 8th grade. It will be a great lead-in year to our 25th anniversary celebration--stay tuned for details!" said Alweiss.

Find out more about Sizer School or apply today at www.sizerschool.org.