New Forsyth County Public Charter School Finds a Place to Build

By cnance | January 10, 2013
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By Staff
In a press release Thursday morning Forsyth County’s newest public charter school,The North Carolina Leadership Academy announced the purchase of a 50 acre site located at 9300 Payne Road, Kernersville. Construction of new school facilities is expected to begin in February. NCLA’s principal, Dottie Heath, stated, “We are very excited about this location. Not only is it large enough to provide us with athletic and playing fields, but it will allow for future school expansions to meet enrollment growth. Its location is also convenient for families from Winston Salem, Kernersville, Jamestown, Oak Ridge, Greensboro, and High Point.”

ncla property

According to their current plan the NCLA, a college preparatory school, will open as a K‐9 school this August and then add one grade level per year until they become a full K‐12 school. The NCLA offers a college preparatory curriculum with focus on leadership and civic engagement. Frederick J. Kennedy, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, says that the Academy’s goal is to help students close achievement gaps so that 100% of the school’s students will be accepted to the colleges of their choice.

Samuel “Chip” Cook, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, says the school will implement a schoolwide Civil Air Patrol program to assist them with their leadership curriculum. He says, “Its strong foundation of leadership and character enrichment, coupled with a cross‐curricular emphasis in handson science, technology, engineering, and math, as well as aerospace history, physical fitness and heath, will merge perfectly with the school’s academic curriculum and mission. Leadership development will be incorporated into all aspects of the Academy.”

The NCLA is a tuition‐free public charter school and accepts any student domiciled in NC at no charge to families. It is not restricted to accepting students from just Forsyth County. School officials say they currently have pre‐applications for students from Forsyth, Guilford, Rockingham, Stokes, and Yadkin Counties.