Castle Pines Charter School Construction

by Doug Hutchins, Castle Pines North Realtor

The construction of the permanent home for American Academy in Castle Pines North is progressing nicely thanks to the mild winter.  The building, which will house students from K-8, is to be completed in early September in time for the start of the 2009-2010 school year.

American Academy is building its new Charter School in Castle Pine North.

The new 83,000 square foot facility will accommodate more than 700 students.  American Academy has been leasing a temporary facility in Lone Tree for the past four years.  This lease expires this summer and cannot be renewed, creating the need for the new facility.  The builder hopes to have the entire building enclosed by the end of May so the interior finish work can begin.

American Academy is a Douglas County Charter School that has a curriculum focused on Science, Technology and Math.  A charter school is a public school that operates via a contract with a local school district.  Charter school admission is through an application process which is different from the traditional public school.  The traditional public school is required to take students that are located within the school boundaries drawn by the school district.  The school “charter” spells out the school goals, standards, education design, governance and operations. The degree of autonomy to be exercised by the charter school on such issues as personnel, curriculum and facilities is negotiated between the charter applicants and the local school district and reflected in the charter. School-centered governance, autonomy, and a clear design for how and what students will learn are the essential characteristics of a charter school.

American Academy is already well-recognized for its academic achievements.  American Academy has won the John Irwin School of Excellence Award from the State of Colorado 3 times – every year since it has opened.  American Academy has also performed well with the standardized CSAP tests.  American Academy has not only exceeded the state test results, but also those of the Douglas County School District, which typically test among the highest in the city and the state.

The addition of American Academy to Castle Pines North is a significant boost to the city.  Although a substantial number of the students attending American Academy are from Castle Pines North, there are substantial numbers that are from other parts of Douglas County.

From a real estate viewpoint, this could help increase the demand for housing in Castle Pines North among the parents of students attending American Academy.  Since this is a kindergarten through 8^th grade facility, families might consider a move into Castle Pines North if they know they will have children at American Academy for a 5-8 year period.   Regardless, parents of children attending American Academy who do not live in Castle Pines North will have a positive exposure to the community and hopefully provide positive word of mouth comments about our community.

If you would like more information about the city of Castle Pines North or information on real estate in Castle Pines North, please contact me below;

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