Building falls through for Montgomery’s first charter school

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The LEAD Academy, Montgomery, Ala.’s first charter school is still looking for a building for its students.

The charter school was approved earlier in February, by the Alabama Public Charter School CommissionCharlotte Meadows, the LEAD Academy board chair expects the academy to have 360 students enrolled in the fall.

The problem is, they have nowhere to put them.

The plan was to renovate the building that houses the Small Business Resource Center in downtown Montgomery. Board members were ready to move forward with the renovations, but the Chamber of Commerce recently notified them that the building would not be sold to them after all.

“We definitely can start in 2019 because we can buy a building and renovate it between now and then,” Meadows told Alabama News. “So that’s not the issue. The issue is finding a specific building that is already move in ready. We just don’t have time between now and August to do a ton of renovations.”

The academy will begin the search for a new building to occupy before August.

LEAD Academy will focus on K-5 education in the first year, adding higher grades every year. By 2024, the school aims to offer all grades K-12. The focus being on teaching children how to interact effectively with one another and adults. The school’s curriculum will focus on STREAMS: science, technology, reading, engineering, art, math and social/emotional learning.

“Start from kindergarten on to help children learn social skills needed to survive in this world. Teach a child to speak face to face, look someone in the eye when you speak to them and shake hands when you meet someone,” said LEAD Academy board member, Lori White.