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PACT Charter School District

Students of Character and Academic Excellence

Our Story

PACT History: From 1994 to Today

In 1994, PACT Charter School was the eighth charter school established in Minnesota. PACT offered a unique model that allowed parents to partner with teachers and students, thereby enabling them to be involved in their children’s education.

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Anoka Post Office

In 1994, PACT Charter School opened in the historic Anoka Post Office with 84 students in grades K–7. Founded by Jim and Barb Abeler, the school emphasized hands-on learning, family involvement, and non-school Fridays—a tradition that continues today. The building's charm and mission sparked a thriving, connected community.

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Karpes Racquetball Court

In 1995, PACT expanded to serve K-8 and moved grades K-6 to the former Karpes Racquetball Club on Pierce Street, across from the Old Milk Factory. As enrollment grew, the Anoka Post Office continued to house grades 7–8, marking the school’s first significant step in accommodating its expanding student body.

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Old Milk Factory

In 1996, PACT Secondary (grades 7–9) moved into the Old Milk Factory, marking another milestone in the school’s expansion. The historic building offered space for continued growth as new grades were added each year, providing a home for upper-grade students as PACT progressed toward becoming a full K-12 school.

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First Graduating Class

PACT Charter School celebrated its first high school graduates in 2000. Starting with grade 9 in 1996, the school added a new grade each year until it reached grade 12. The Class of 2000 marked a proud moment in PACT’s history and the beginning of its legacy of graduates.

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Breaking Ground in Ramsey

On September 24, 2003, PACT held a groundbreaking ceremony on a five-acre site in the Ramsey Town Center. This moment marked a significant step in the school’s growth and vision to serve more students in a purpose-built facility designed to meet the needs of a full K–12 learning community.

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PACT Opens in Ramsey

In September 2004, PACT opened its new 72,000-square foot K–12 facility in Ramsey. Featuring a unique “Cafetorium,” makeshift gym classrooms, and portables at launch, the building doubled enrollment and drew nearly 2,000 students to the waiting list—managed by lottery for the next two decades due to high demand.

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PACT Gym and Stage

This unique “Cafetorium” at PACT’s Ramsey campus served as both a cafeteria and an auditorium. The stage opened onto both sides—into the gym and the dining area—making it a flexible space for performances, assemblies, and large events, as well as a central hub for school and community gatherings.

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The PACT Panther

PACT’s first athletic team—a girls' basketball team—launched in 1997. When choosing a mascot, high school students voted for the panther, and the PACT Panthers were born. That same year, the school adopted its red, black, and white colors. The first mascot costume debuted at Ramsey’s Happy Days Parade in 2006.

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PACT Pantherettes Qualify for State

In 2014, the PACT Dance Team—the Pantherettes—became the first PACT team to qualify for a state tournament. Their talent and dedication set a new standard for Panther athletics, and they’ve proudly returned to state almost every year since, representing the school with spirit, teamwork, and Panther pride.

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Soccer Wins Conference Title

In 2020, PACT’s boys' soccer team made school history by becoming the first athletic team to win a conference title. Their hard work, determination, and teamwork paved the way for future athletic success and added a proud chapter to the legacy of PACT Panther sports.

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State Champion: Cecily Fager

In 2022, Cecily Fager ’23 made history as PACT’s first-ever state champion, winning the title in pole vault. Her incredible achievement came 28 years after the school’s founding. She nearly claimed back-to-back titles in 2023, finishing as state runner-up and solidifying her place in PACT’s athletic legacy.

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Secondary Campus Groundbreaking

On October 6, 2022, PACT broke ground on its new Secondary Campus at 7633 – 161st Avenue Northwest, next to Central Park in Ramsey—just three miles from the current campus—marking an exciting step forward in the school’s growth and commitment to providing expanded learning opportunities.

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Secondary Campus Opens

The new Secondary Campus, opened in fall 2023, serves students in grades 6–12 and features beautiful landscaping throughout. It includes an auditorium, football stadium, track, media center, and industrial art classrooms—making it the only middle and high school located within the City of Ramsey.

The Early Years

In 1994, founders Jim and Barb Abeler purchased the historic Anoka Post Office and, after some minor alterations, opened PACT Charter School. Offices were turned into classrooms, fire suppression sprinkler systems were installed, and a concrete ramp allowed the school to be wheelchair accessible. Landscaping and painting were completed, mainly representing cosmetic improvements since the property was on the National Registry of Historic Places. 
 

With interest from mostly homeschool families, 84 students in grades K-7 attended PACT for the 1994-1995 school year. Students walked three blocks to a nearby park for gym class, and the academics were designed around hands-on learning through field trips, symposiums, and unit studies. A unique feature that has remained to this day is non-school Fridays, intended for family learning experiences beyond the classroom. Many families still use the non-school Friday as family time or to get together with other PACT families for group social events. The original acronym for PACT was Parents Allied with Children and Teachers.

 

Outgrowing Anoka

PACT became a K-8 school for the 1995-1996 school year and grew year-over-year as the oldest students advanced grades. In 1995, after outgrowing the Anoka Post Office, PACT moved grades K-6 to the Karpes Court Racquetball Club on Pierce Street in Anoka across from the Old Milk Factory. Grades 7-8 remained in the Anoka Post Office.

In 1996, PACT Secondary (grades 7-9) vacated the Anoka Post Office and moved into the Old Milk Factory. A grade was added every year after that until the school reached grade 12. Our first high school graduates were the Class of 2000. 

 

The Move to Ramsey

On September 24, 2003, PACT broke ground on a five-acre site in the Ramsey Town Center development. The doors opened a year later, in September 2004. Makeshift classrooms were in the gymnasium, and portables were used in the first two months. The 72,000-square foot building was designed to accommodate K-12 students and had a unique feature of a “Cafetorium” that served the dual purposes of a cafeteria and auditorium with a performing arts stage and tiered seating. The rear of the stage opened into the gymnasium, allowing the stage to be used for large functions.

Enrollment nearly doubled when the school moved from Anoka to Ramsey, and almost 2,000 students were on the waiting list. An extensive waiting list would be managed through a lottery system for the next 20 years.

In 2019, PACT underwent a building improvement project that included closing the “Cafetorium” to create a lower-level choir room and an upper-level Library Media Center. A band room was built near the gym, which opened up space for a second kindergarten classroom so PACT could expand to a full-day kindergarten model. 

That same year, PACT re-branded with a new logo and changed the PACT acronym to Pursuing Academics and Character Together

 

Athletic Success

The first athletic team started in 1997 and was a girl's basketball team. When they needed to consider a mascot the high school students voted for a panther, and PACT officially became the PACT Panthers. At this time, the school colors of red, black, and white were also adopted (originally tan and teal). The first mascot costume was purchased in 2006 for the Happy Days Parade in Ramsey. 

Today, PACT offers more than 35 extracurricular activities -- some of which are co-ops with neighboring schools like Legacy Christian Academy, Anoka High School, and Spectrum High School. In 2014, the PACT Dance Team (Pantherettes) were the first school sport to qualify for a state tournament, and they have returned multiple times since then. 

In 2020, the boys' soccer team made history by being the first athletic team to earn a conference title.

In 2022, Cecily Fager ’23 became the Pole Vault State Champion and PACT’s first state champion in any sport since PACT opened its doors 28 years prior. She almost repeated in 2023 when she was runner-up.

On September 3, 2024, PACT played its first home football game at Panther Stadium at the Secondary Campus. 

 

A New Beginning

On October 6, 2022, PACT broke ground on its new Secondary Campus located at 7633 - 161st Avenue Northwest next to Central Park in Ramsey and is just 3 miles from the current location. Deciding it was time to get students off the waiting list and into the classrooms, PACT leadership took action in 2021. It retained the services of J.B. Vang Development Management Services to assist with the expansion project and Pope Design Group for architecture and design.

The new site is filled with beautiful landscapes and houses students in grades 6-12 as a middle and high school. The new campus includes an auditorium, football stadium, track, media center, and industrial art classrooms. The new building opened in the fall of 2023 and is the only middle and high school in the City of Ramsey.

Currently serving as a K-12 building, the current PACT building on Ramsey Boulevard was reconfigured and renovated as the Elementary Campus serving students in grades K-5. Both locations will allow PACT to double the number of students in K-12 to over 1,500 by 2028, if not sooner.  

The 2024-2025 school year marked PACT’s 30th year serving the community's educational needs.

 

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