Triad charter school announces $31.8 million expansion project
Phoenix Academy, a public charter school in High Point, announced a $31.8 million expansion that will add 22 new classrooms and several special purpose amenities to its current 105,000-square-feet in facilities.
The school said the money was raised through a bond offering purchased entirely by Nuveen Funds.
Expansion will be made to Phoenix Academy’s primary school campus at 4020 Meeting Way, its elementary school campus at 4191 Mendenhall Oaks Parkway and its middle school campus at 7847 Clinard Farms Road.
Andrew Harris, a partner in the High Point law firm of Wyatt Harris Early Wheeler made the announcement.
Holden Building Co. of Greensboro will be the general contractor. Tracy Pratt of Greensboro will be the architect.
The announcement drew praise from from North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson, Lt. Governor Dan Forest, and N.C. House Majority Whip and Education Committee member Jon Hardister of Greensboro.
“Congratulations to Phoenix Academy,” Johnson said. “I have seen first-hand their commitment to children. The success of their program results in the success of their students.”
The school attracted former Gov. Pat McCrory to the campus last year to celebrate the opening of its aviation and logistics lab.
School spokesman Josh Brown told Triad Business Journal that construction would begin as soon as permitting is secured. The project will be undertaken over the next two years in concert with holidays and breaks.
Brown said the school, which currently has more than 1,000 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, will be able to expand to 1,500 students with pre-kindergarten beginning in the 2018-19 school year.
Phoenix previously had ambitious plans for a high school, including an emphasis on aerospace education, but earlier this year decided that it would not offer high school grades for the upcoming school year. Administrators told the High Point Enterprise that only 11 students had confirmed to attend ninth grade and another 11 had signed up for 10th.
In addition to classrooms, the expansion will add a band room, music room, multi-purpose room, two science labs and an outdoor gym/performance area.