ROCHESTER, Minn. – A charter high school, the Rochester STEM Academy, has gone to bankruptcy court for Chapter 11protection from those to which it owes money. The tuition-free school, founded in 2005, has 129 students. The curriculum emphasizes science, technology, engineering and math, hence the name STEM. Although outside the local public school system, the Rochester STEM Academy leans heavily on government financial support: From the state government, the school receives $1.9 million a year; from the federal government, $204,000; and from local taxing authorities, $4,000. STEM Academy is of five state-chartered private shools in Rochester.
