Oftentimes Asked Questions

SPCPA is a unique campus. What makes it unique?

General Questions

The mission of Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists (SPCPA) is to provide the highest caliber of academic and artistic instruction for aspiring pre-professional performing artists in the areas of instrumental and vocal music, theatre and dance, and to fully prepare students for college and conservatory.

SPCPA opened in the autumn of 2005.

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Following a recommendation past the Mayor's Role for the Urban center of St. Paul in 2000 to establish a performing arts high school in the downtown area, Mayor Randy Kelly worked with civic, arts, and public school leaders to appraise the demand, design a program, and bear forrad a plan. The school plan received approving from the Minnesota Department of Pedagogy in 2003 with Ordway Middle for the Performing Arts interim as an authorizer. The Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists opened its doors for 154 students in 2005, offer a full academic programme and performing arts instruction in dance and theatre.

A charter school is a tuition-gratuitous public schoolhouse that is part of Minnesota'southward public education system. Charter schools operate nether Minnesota Statute §124E.

The statute permits teachers, parents, and other community members to form and operate independent school districts.

SPCPA serves grades 9-12 through the Minnesota Department of Instruction.

Charter schools are site-based managed, meaning that parents, teachers, and local community members choose the people who govern the operation of the school. Lease schools elect their own school boards to oversee all aspects of the school's mission, goals, and operations.

Note:  SPCPA is not part of Saint Paul Public Schools Commune 625. We are our ain district.

Students who reside in Minnesota practice not pay tuition.  Students residing in another land are welcome to attend SPCPA, but would be required to pay annual tuition. For more information, follow this link to our Out-of-State Residency and Tuition folio.

Demographics for the current school year reflect a educatee body that includes 20% students of color, with members of the African American, Asian, Hispanic and American Indian populations represented.

Geographically, students come up from nearly 80 different cities effectually the Twin Cities metro area and western Wisconsin with the largest percentage from St. Paul (29%), Minneapolis (13%), Woodbury (7%), and Cottage Grove (5%). Other cities representing at to the lowest degree 2% of the pupil population include Eagan, Roseville, and Edina.

SPCPA'due south student body is approximately 70% female person and 30% male.

Before schoolhouse academic support and computer lab access is bachelor to students from 7:45 – 8:00 a.m. The school solar day runs from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.thou.  SPCPA is on a cake schedule consisting on 5, eighty-minute periods per twenty-four hours.

The school twelvemonth consists of two semesters and J-Term.

There is a designated space in each building for students to each tiffin.  Some students will follow the early on lunch schedule and eat lunch from 10:45-eleven:15 a.k. and some students will follow the late luncheon schedule and swallow dejeuner from 12:10-12:xl p.g. SPCPA has an open campus, meaning students are immune to leave our buildings for dejeuner if they chose. Nosotros exercise non have a free or reduced lunch plan.

SPCPA does non have a lunch plan. Indoor lunchroom space in our building is available in the basement of the Lowry (access off the master lobby).  Students are allotted xxx minutes for lunch and will either bring their ain packed tiffin from home or purchase lunch at i of the many nutrient spots nearby the schoolhouse.

Lowry Building

  • Lower Level – Song Arts Department
  • 1st Floor – Principal Archway, Visual Arts Department, Instrumental Music Department
  • anest Flooring – Lehr Theater, Lowry Lab Theater
  • 2nd Floor – Academic Classrooms, Science Labs, and Administrative Offices
  • 3rd Floor – Academic Classrooms

Roy Wilkins Studios

  • Dance Studios
  • Dance Department and Administrative Offices

Nigh students utilize the Metro Transit System to go to schoolhouse. Students may purchase special discounted student bus passes from SPCPA, which let them to travel throughout the metro expanse on either buses or lite rail.

More data about applying to SPCPA tin can be found on our Prospective Students page.

  1. Nosotros recommend interested students inquiry the school and attend available experiences offered to gain a better understanding for the schoolhouse's unique environment.
  2. Interested students and families may and so consummate and send in the Awarding Class.
  3. Completed application forms will be reviewed upon reaching the initial application borderline, February 1. The first round of notifications are made past the end of Feb.
    1. Enrollment is not on a "beginning come, beginning serve" footing.  Completed applications forms submitted afterward this date are placed in the waiting puddle. SPCPA may continue to take students from this pool throughout the spring and summer every bit spots go available. Accepted applicants from this pool will exist notified on a rolling basis.
    2. If there are more applicants than space available, a lottery is conducted to determine which applicants will fill open spots.
  4. Students accepted will be informed via mail with an Enrollment Package and a secondary deadline to complete the Enrollment Packet.

It is SPCPA's policy to provide equal educational opportunity for all students.  The school does not unlawfully discriminate on the ground of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, marital status, parental status, status with regard to public aid, disability, sexual orientation or age.  The Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists too makes reasonable accommodations for disabled students.

You may reach SPCPA's offices by calling 651-290-2225 (#0 to reach the chief desk) or by emailing info@spcpa.org. SPCPA's administrative offices are located in the Lowry building.

Academic Questions

Approximately 430 students will attend SPCPA throughout the current schoolhouse year.

Class sizes range from 15-30 students.

SPCPA is guided by national and state academic standards. Students' average performance on nationally normed standardized tests is regularly, and significantly above the national average.

SPCPA offers advanced classes in all grade levels and offers students the opportunity to take Advanced Placement (AP) courses and participate in Postal service-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO).

For more information, cheque out our Academics Department.

Yep. All academic instructors employed by SPCPA are licensed by the Minnesota Board of Teaching.

For more about our bookish staff, delight see our Bookish Faculty Bios page.

Arts Questions

The Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists was established to provide opportunities for trip the light fantastic, theatre, and instrumental and vocal arts students not available in traditional high schools, either public or individual.  The overall goal is to provide grooming in dance, theatre, and music utilizing the solarium model.  To accomplish this, iii hours each twenty-four hours are devoted to conservatory style preparation, arts teachers are professional performing artists, and professional training and performance spaces are used to the extent possible.

SPCPA expects students to possess a keen interest, experience, and/or potential in one or more of the arts programs .  Though auditions are not required for admission, students volition go through a placement procedure wherein current arts faculty detect students and place them in their arts courses accordingly.

Students in Instrumental Music exercise need to provide and play their musical instrument.  Nosotros do non provide private lessons for students.

Students at SPCPA are required to select one of the post-obit programs: Trip the light fantastic, Theatre, Musical Theatre, Song Music, Instrumental Music, Visual Arts or Creative Writing. Each program has a set curriculum that focuses on building skills specific to that performance blazon. Curriculum for each plan can be found on the Arts Department pages.

Though auditions are not required for enrollment, a placement session is required for placement into our arts programs.

Students in Instrumental Music are placed by technical ability.  Dance, Theatre, Musical Theatre, Visual Arts, and Vocal Arts students are placed with their form-level peers.  Any question virtually placement may be directed to the appropriate department chair.

Every student is required to take 2 arts classes per day on a Monday/Wednesday, Tuesday/Thursday schedule.  Fridays, in the arts, are devoted to additional arts classes that encounter just once per week.  Students in 11th and 12th grade will have the opportunity to choose a period iv Fri constituent course outside their arts program. All arts courses are required for graduation.

J-Term is a 13-solar day cake in January devoted solely to rehearsing and performing a substantial work.  Students are in school during J-Term anywhere from 4-8 hours per solar day, immersed in a rehearsal schedule similar to that used by professional companies, and under the guidance of SPCPA instructors and guest professional artists.  J-Term is graded on a Pass/No Credit scale; successful completion of J-Term each year is required to receive a diploma from SPCPA.

More information about J-Term

Toward the end of the school year, each student must demonstrate learned skill in their particular subject for a panel of faculty and outside guest professional artists.  Students are critiqued and given feedback.

Each semester, every arts class presents work either in process or performance.  Showcases, workshops, concerts, and open up houses happen most often at the end of a semester.  J-Term is an opportunity for students to work exclusively toward a performance that happens at the end of January.  All arts programming at SPCPA, at this point, is curricular.

Students must complete a Predicted Extended Arts Absence (PEAA) Contract.  Students piece of work with arts and academic instructors to determine what requirements must be met during and after an absenteeism due to an outside arts experience.

While it is a role of our mission to work with students who must miss extended time for performances, information technology is very important for students to accept responsibility to complete the agreed-upon work in a timely mode.

Students must meet the Dean of Students to obtain a Predicted Extended Arts (PEAA) Contract.

Every arts teacher employed by SPCPA is licensed by the Minnesota Lath of Educational activity.  Because all our arts instructors are working professional person artists, most arts instructors are working under a express license.

For more than information on our arts staff, visit our Arts Faculty Bios page.

The point of contact for any question about a particular course is the instructor.  For questions near overall programming for a particular subject area (i.e. dance, theatre, or music), contact the appropriate department chair.

Questions about J-Term or overall arts programming may be addressed to the Arts Programme Coordinator.

Key Contact Information:

Arts Program Coordinator, Genevieve Bennett  bennettg@spcpa.org

Section Chairs

Trip the light fantastic, Sam Johnson  johnsons@spcpa.org

Instrumental, Gerard Ahlgren  ahlgreng@spcpa.org and Elise Santa santae@spcpa.org

Musical Theatre, Judith James Ries  jamesriesj@spcpa.org and Sara Robinson robinsons@spcpa.org

Theatre, Suzy Messerole  messeroles@spcpa.org

Vocal Arts, Shon Parker  parkers@spcpa.org