Wednesday, July 23, 2014
BENTONVILLE -- Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy will welcome as many as 150 more students when it opens for its second school year next month.
The open enrollment charter school will grow by one grade. Freshmen will be added to what was a kindergarten through eighth-grade school. One section at the first-, second- and third-grade levels also will be added, giving it a 567-student capacity.
A previous version of this story misstated the capacity of the school. The error has been corrected.
At A Glance
Governance
Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy is operated by Responsive Education Solutions, a Texas-based organization with several dozen charter schools in Texas and three in Arkansas. The school is governed by two boards: a local board and a state board. The local board is appointed by the state board. The local board has final decision-making authority for the school in the areas of student discipline, employee grievances, parent grievances, community grievances and all other areas delegated to it by the state board.
Source: Responsive Education Solutions
Timm Petersen, headmaster, said this summer has been far less stressful than last as the school prepared for its debut. However, adding a high school to the mix is no small task.
"You have to put together a whole four-year plan," Petersen said. "Parents need to know that plan is in place. It's already courageous of them to come be part of a new school. We want to make sure we have a complete plan for (students) to graduate."
The first day of school is Aug. 18.
The school operates out of two floors of leased space at 1302 Melissa Drive. Seven classrooms will be added to the first floor to accommodate enrollment growth.
The school will make a few other minor changes. The reception area will be moved closer to the front door for security purposes, Petersen said. That door already is locked and visitors must be granted access by a staff member.
There's a new computer lab. The art room will be moved to a bigger classroom. The school library also is being moved.
Taitum Meyer transferred into the academy from the Bentonville Public Schools in October. Taitum will be a seventh-grader this fall. She decided she wanted to make the switch after she talked to a neighbor who was a student at the academy, said her mother, Brenda Meyer.
"She shadowed one day, transitioned the next day, and never looked back," Brenda Meyer said.
Classical learning is integrated throughout the curriculum. The teachers are "fantastic," Meyer said.
"They really embrace the style of learning. They really walk the talk," she said.
The school's staff will grow from 35 to 44 positions. That includes a new assistant headmaster job. Susan Provenza, who taught literature last school year, will fill that position. Provenza also will teach a high school composition class.
Petersen said he still needs to hire a first-grade teacher and a sixth- and seventh-grade science teacher for the coming year.
The school has a waiting list of 300 students, but there are still some spots available at specific grade levels. As of Tuesday there was room for one student in the third grade, six in the eighth grade and 12 in the ninth.
Petersen is proud of the school's results on the state's Benchmark exams. In fourth-grade math, for example, 93 percent of students scored proficient or advanced compared to 76 percent statewide and 80 percent for the region.
Petersen also points out the school isn't entirely about academics; it's also trying to foster extracurricular programs. It already has an orchestra, a choir and a couple of sports teams.
"We want to do these things, but we want to do them well," Petersen said. "It requires excellent parent support and help to get these things done."
Cindy Palen, a member of the school's board and a parent of two academy students, said the school had a great first year.
"I think our second year will be even better," Palen said. "We'll be starting our high school, so I think that's substantial. There's been a lot of things happening this summer to get us ready. Last year there were a lot of last-minute strings being pulled to get us prepared. There wasn't nearly as much to do for this year. I know Mr. Petersen has been hiring excellent teachers."
As an open-enrollment charter school, Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy can draw students from anywhere in the state. Most of its students live within the Bentonville School District.
Still, Bentonville's School District has projected an enrollment increase of about 3.5 percent this year from last year. The high school's enrollment is expected to surpass 4,300, up from about 4,100 last fall.
Petersen said he appreciates the way the community has welcomed the school.
"It's an exciting opportunity to be an option in an area that has quality education already," he said.
NW News on 07/23/2014