Top-Rated, K-8 Charter School Will Begin Serving Freshmen and Sophomores in the Fall of 2017
Banning Lewis Ranch Academy (BLRA), a K-8 public charter school, has been approved to offer a high school program opening in the Fall of 2017. In a unanimous vote on Thursday evening, the Falcon 49 District School Board approved BLRA’s application for expansion to the charter agreement from K-8 to K-12. The school will offer seats to freshmen and sophomores only in the Fall of 2017, adding the junior class in Fall 2018, and senior class the following year (Fall 2019).
Banning Lewis Ranch Academy is an award-winning, top-rated school. Since opening in 2006, BLRA has always achieved a Performance rating, the highest level awarded by the state. The high school will offer a rigorous, college prep education, including the daily use of technology and an extensive list of Advanced Placement courses.
BLRA currently serves 750 students with an extensive waiting list. The expansion includes a new, state-of-the-art middle and high school campus that will be built in the same community. The current campus location will continue to house the elementary school, and will allow BLRA to open more seats to students in Kindergarten through fifth grade.
“We would like to thank our school community and families for their interest and support of this effort,” says Eric Dinnel, former BLRA Head of School and now Vice President at ACCEL Schools, “We look forward to offering an exceptional high school program to this community, and the ability to serve families with a full, K-12 educational experience.”
“From our students, to our families, to our staff, Banning Lewis Ranch Academy has grown to be an amazing school,” says Deann Barnett, BLRA Board President, “Our success is evident in everything from our test scores to our extra-curricular activities, to our sense of community. We now have the opportunity to grow again and give our students the ability to continue their success through graduation. We are pleased to be able to bring this new high school to our community and are very excited to see the amazing things these students will accomplish.”
“BLRA has been in operation for 10 years and in that time has become a highly successful school. The staff has been dedicated to creating a safe and positive school environment where students can flourish and we are excited about the opportunity to extend our influence through the high school level. We are so fortunate to have a community of families that support a charter school option for their children and we are thrilled to provide the next level of quality programming,” says Amy Brundage, BLRA Head of School.
Families interested in enrollment should check the school website for updates: www.blracademy.org