Path appears clear for 'classical' charter school to open in Martin County

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the target opening date of Treasure Coast Classical Academy in fall 2019.

MARTIN COUNTY — A "classical" charter school hoping to set up here already has the support of the superintendent and, apparently, at least 100 residents.

The only thing left is approval from School Board members, who on Tuesday are expected to decide whether the charter school can open its doors to students next fall.

The founders of Treasure Coast Classical Academy, including two school board members from other counties, are optimistic Martin County will approve the school at Tuesday's meeting.

"We’re committed to success, and we have the experience to make it happen," said Shawn Frost, who is on the academy's board of directors, and serves as chairman of the Indian River County School Board.

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The academy would be a kindergarten through 12th grade school ran in conjunction with the Hillsdale College Barney Charter School Initiative. Hillsdale College is a private, liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan; the Chicago-based Barney Family Foundation is a charitable institution that helps fund the charter school initiative.

The program already has launched 17 schools across the U.S. since 2014, including three in Florida, according to its website.

All of the schools share a mantra and goal: Educating students "through a content-rich classical education in the liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in the principles of moral character and civic virtue," according to the Treasure Coast Classical Academy's application submitted to the school district.

That means students take Latin courses beginning in fourth grade, read works by Socrates, and study the lasting ideas from Judaism and Christianity before plunging into ancient Greece as sixth graders.

In the 11th grade, students at the academy learn about cardinal virtues: courage, justice, moderation, wisdom and prudence; and other virtues such as friendship and magnanimity, according to the school's application.

The school focuses on historical literacy, timelines and facts when students are younger, then explores deeper background knowledge as they progress, said Erika Donalds, a member of the proposed charter school's board of directors.

Donalds was an advisory board member and director of operations at Mason Classical Academy, a Hillsdale charter school in Naples. She also serves on the Collier County School Board and state Constitution Revision Commission.

The proposed school in Martin County has drawn much interest from parents already, many of whom have asked board members to approve its charter. As of January, the school received 108 letters of intent to attend the charter, according to its application.

"Once parents find out about this type of education, it speaks to them," Donalds said. "But it's not for everyone."

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Mason Classical Academy, based in Naples, was the first Florida charter school under Hillsdale when it opened in 2014. The school was A-rated in 2016-17, 2015-16 and 2014-15, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Further, the school's 2016-17 marks in student achievement and learning gains — improvement from year-to-year — were higher than the state average, across the board, and in all subjects, according to the Department of Education.

Pineapple Cove Academy, a Hillsdale school in Brevard County, meanwhile, posted a C-rating in 2015-16, its first year of existence, according to the Department of Education. The school's grade improved to an A-rating last year.

The other two Hillsdale schools in Florida — St. Johns Classical Academy in Clay County, which opened in 2017; and Pineapple Cove Classical Academy at West Melbourne in Brevard County — opened too recently to receive school grades.

Treasure Coast Classical Academy intends to serve 486 kindergarten through sixth-grade students during year one, according to the charter's application. The school would reach 768 students five years from now.

Enrollment would be open to any student in Martin County or beyond — as mandated by school choice laws — but there may be a waiting list if enough students apply, Frost said.

If Martin County School District approves the charter on Tuesday, the school can focus on securing a location, Frost said.

The charter is planning to borrow $14 million to build or buy a facility, likely in northern Martin County, according to its application. The school could secure a temporary home until a long-term option is found.

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