Ultimate Student Athlete Academy – a new private school in Coosada designed to create a national-level athletic program – plans to begin enrolling students this week and play its inaugural football season this fall.

The school announced Rush Propst, a highly successful but controversial veteran high school coach, as its head football coach at a news conference in Prattville today.

USA Academy founder Dusty DeVaughn also outlined plans for the school. As a private school, it will not receive any state funding.

Here’s a look at 10 key questions and answers provided by DeVaughn and Propst at today’s news conference, which lasted about two hours:

1) What is the school’s academic set-up?

Students can enroll in a combination of online classes or conventional classroom instruction, but most of the academic work is expected to be handled online.

Virtual schools have become increasingly popular in recent years, and USA Academy currently has no buildings at its Coosada campus. DeVaughn said temporary office space will be set up later this month, with construction on permanent structures beginning soon.

DeVaughn said the online curriculum is the same used by public virtual schools and emphasized it’s NCAA approved. He also said the school plans to seek accreditation.

Classes begin later this month.

2) Will the school be for athletes only?

No. While attracting athletes, especially football players for the 2020 season, is the priority, DeVaughn said the school will also accept non-athletes.

He did not say how many students or athletes the school hopes to attract or if there’s a cap, but he said more than 300 potential football players from numerous states have contacted the school. Propst said he hopes to have 65-to-75 varsity players on the roster this fall.

3) How much will the school charge in tuition?

The highest price is $13,750 per year, but the school’s website currently lists “early bird” tuition specials as low as $5,000 for non-athletes and $7,500 for athletes.

DeVaughn referred to IMG Academy (Fla.)’s tuition cost of more than $75,000 annually and said the new school wants to keep tuition low.

4) What facilities will be built?

USA Academy plans to build a new stadium, a fieldhouse complete with locker rooms and coaching offices, and a 100-yard indoor practice facility. Dormitories are also in the plans.

The school’s first fall will feature football and cheer, but the school’s website indicates baseball, softball, soccer and golf will be played in spring 2021. Basketball and volleyball are slated to be added in fall 2021.

5) How much will the facilities cost?

DeVaughn initially sidestepped a question about how much the new facilities will cost, but later said the price tag is $13-to-$14 million.

Although he did not specify, that appears to be the cost of the football-centric facilities. He did say that total does not include dormitories.

DeVaughn also said the school is exploring “tuition credit” for local student families who host an out-of-state student and added “tiny houses” could be built on site.

6) How is the school financing such a big capital investment?

DeVaughn declined to identify investors, but said the school is actively fundraising and added it will soon announce corporate sponsorships. He said the full list of the school’s board of directors will be announced soon.

7) Who will USA Academy play?

The school wants to play a national schedule, and DeVaughn said they’ve had discussions about playing St. Frances Academy (Md.), a school that’s sent several players to Alabama recently, and St. John’s (D.C.).

“We won’t say no to anyone who wants to play,” DeVaughn said.

The big question is whether AHSAA member schools will be able to play the new school. DeVaughn said three Class 7A schools have inquired about playing the Propst-coached team in 2020.

AHSAA schools are required to play other schools that are members of one of the 51 state federations that make up the Federation of State High School Associations. Therefore, it appears AHSAA schools will be barred from playing USA Academy.

Even without playing local schools, DeVaughn voiced confidence at making a national schedule for the 2020 season.

“Everybody wants a shot at Rush Propst,” DeVaughn said.

Propst and DeVaughn indicated a full 2020 schedule will be released in coming weeks, but DeVaughn said there’s already a game against “the No. 1 team in Canada" confirmed.

8) Will in-state students be eligible to receive Accountability scholarships?

The Alabama Accountability Act, originally passed in 2013 by the state Legislature, allows taxpayers to donate to scholarship granting organizations, known as SGOs. The SGOs distribute scholarships to low-income students in kindergarten through 12th grade to use in participating schools.

DeVaughn said in-state USA Academy students will be able to access Accountability scholarships. In addition, he said he’s already spoken to two scholarship granting organizations and received positive feedback and confirmed the school also plans to create its own scholarship granting organization.

Scholarship students using tax credit scholarships must take standardized tests in English language arts and math, and they must take the ACT college entrance exam before graduating.

9) What’s USA Academy’s recruiting pitch?

Propst pointed to his record of sending players to college, saying Colquitt County (Ga.) had 139 college signees in his 12 seasons at the south Georgia school.

Joining in the football team, he said, is intended to raise the player’s recruiting profile and give him the best football training available on the high school level.

“We want to show this model will work,” Propst said.

10) Who is Dusty DeVaughn?

The USA Academy founder described himself as a “country fat boy from Slapout, Alabama.” He also ran for state representative in 2018 and lost in the Republican primary to Mike Holmes, garnering 46.6 percent of the vote.

DeVaughn also said he has owned and operated a credit repair company for the last 10 years. He said his family has deep roots in Elmore County’s farming community, and the new school is being built on a 115-acre parcel his family owns in rural Elmore County.

11) What about a reality show?

The creation of the football program will also be turned into a reality show similar to MTV’s “2-A-Days” that put Propst on the national stage.

DeVaughn said the school’s website will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, with hopes a streaming service such as Hulu or Netflix will also distribute it.