http://www.uscharterschools.org/cs/r/view/uscs_rs/1723
This is a story about how the Westwind Academy Charter High School found facilities. These stories were co-developed by WestEd and NWREL.
Status: Opened 1998
Grades: 9-12
Enrollment: 300
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Westwind Academy opened in 1998 with a mission to provide young men and women with a solid educational foundation in a context of care and concern. The founders identified space to lease on the campus of a former small college. The owner of the facility was leasing the buildings for office space and took a liking to the charter school tenant. The owner then supported the school by making more of the campus available as other tenants' leases came up.
The front of Westwind Academy.
A sample science classroom.
Despite this good will, Westwind Academy leaders were challenged to keep the thirty-year-old buildings in good repair. The buildings lack insulation, have cracks in the walls, and are not energy efficient.
Students enjoy the technology present at Westwind.
An outside view of Westwind Academy.
In 2000 the school leaders made use of bond money from the industrial development authority to purchase their facility. Their biggest help in addressing the whole facilities issue came from networking with other charter schools, as well as with local people employed in the construction and commercial real estate industries. The advice Westwind's director offers other founders is to keep an open mind when investigating facilities options since property can often be adjusted to meet school needs. The director also recommends doing a thorough check of local school zoning requirements.
These stories about how selected charter schools found facilities were co-developed
by
WestEd and
NWREL. If you have a story to share, please
contact us.
Read all the facilities stories:
1 2 3 4 5 6
Source: www.USCharterSchools.org
