By Paula Jordan

Most of the activity with the new Lake Lure Classical Academy – A Challenge Foundation Academy (LLCA-CFA) has been indoors rather than outdoors for much of the spring and early summer, thanks to all the rain. But with a couple of relatively dry afternoons in early June the earth movers and smoothers were busy again at the temporary site on Highway 64/74A near the Lake Lure town center. Chris Braund, secretary of the LLCA-CFA board of directors, reported on June 8th that if the rain would continue that reprieve, delivery and setup of the roomy, high quality school buildings was expected to begin the following week.
 
In other news, total enrollment for the school has now exceeded 210, including enrollment of 38 students for the planned 44 kindergarten seats. Introductory postcards were recently mailed to every household with school-age children within 15 miles of the school, an area extending into five counties. The ultimate goal is an enrollment between 320 and 352 students.

The tuition-free public charter school opens this August with grades k-7, and is expected to add another grade each year until the full k-12 program is achieved. Classes will follow the traditional Fall through Spring annual schedule.

Full information on the new school – including the selection of Ms. Caroline Upchurch as school director, the 2010-2011 school calendar, the highly regarded Core Knowledge Sequence curriculum, and a detailed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list – is available on the school web site at www.llca.teamcfa.org.

Prospective student families are urged to visit the web site for application forms now, and to submit them sooner rather than later. A waiting list will be utilized as necessary.

There is a LLCA School Board meeting scheduled for 2:00 PM on Monday July 5th at the Lake Lure Town Hall. The public is welcome to attend.