A small charter school in northwest Aurora is close to breaking ground on a new facility to help accomodate its growing student body.
Students and staffers at High Point Academy have been working out of modular trailers since the school first opened in August 2006. The school's 425 students and 40 teachers are looking forward to gaining a little bit more elbow room when they move into a new building near East 64th Avenue and Tower Road.
The school should know by the end of the month whether it's able to sell the bonds necessary to fund construction of the new facility, said Terry Croy Lewis, executive director of High Point Academy. If the deal is approved, construction crews will move forward with a groundbreaking ceremony in March, she said.
Construction of the new building should be finished by the end of the year, just in time for a mid-year opening. That's more than welcome news for students and teachers who have endured the temporary facility for the past three years, Lewis said.
"The wonderful thing about the children, parents and staff members is that they tolerate inadequate facilities because of the education," Lewis said. "It's an incredibly exciting time for us."
High Point Academy is one of 20 schools under the Charter School Institute (CSI), an independent agency within the Colorado Department of Education. The institute has faced scrutiny from public school proponents since its creation in 2004.
The Boulder Valley School District filed a lawsuit against CSI, challenging the constitutionality of the agency. The litigation ended in October when the state Supreme Court declined to consider the case.
Officials with High Point delayed construction plans until the outcome of the case was decided, Lewis said. The sluggish economy also played a role in the timing.
The K-8 charter school was developed as an anchor of High Point, an 1,800-acre master-planned community that will feature a mix of residential, retail and open space.
LNR Property Corporation, the developer behind the project, donated six acres for the new facility that's expected to cost approximately $9.5 million, said Brandon Wyszynski, governing board president of High Point Academy.
The school will be approximately 63,000 square feet and will include more than 30 classrooms, a computer lab, library, gymnasium and performance area, Wyszynski said. Outdoor areas will include a playground, hard and soft court surfaces, quiet reflective spaces, a wellness garden and an adjacent playing field, he said.
Though the school does serve some students who live in the High Point neighborhood, most kids come from neighboring areas, Lewis said, including Green Valley Ranch, Parkfield and Montbello. About 38 percent are within the boundaries of Aurora Public Schools, while another 60 percent come from Denver Public Schools.
Joey Kirchmer: 303-954-2650 or kirchmerj@yourhub.com