About 1,500 students expected for debut of West Virginia charter schools

The primary West Virginia constitution faculties stay on observe to welcome an anticipated 1,500 college students subsequent fall.

“We don’t know precisely what the enrollment shall be till we see the start of the varsity yr,” mentioned Adam Kissel, chairman of the West Virginia Skilled Constitution Colleges Board, including that the estimate comes by latest assessments by the state’s first 5 constitution faculties.

West Virginia’s general public college enrollment firstly of the present college yr was 252,910.

The constitution faculties are on observe to open this fall with one exception, Kissel advised state lawmakers.

Nitro Preparatory Academy, which plans a college for kindergarten by grade 8, remains to be in search of a location for courses and is more likely to pursue an extension to subsequent yr, Kissel mentioned.

A contract says the varsity must specify its property 90 days previous to opening. “In the event that they don’t or in the event that they don’t assume they are often financially viable, they received’t be open this yr; they might be capable to open subsequent yr,” Kissel advised members of the state Legislature on Sunday afternoon.

The Nitro Academy might pursue an extension for subsequent yr, Kissel mentioned, saying the situation is more likely to wind up being in Kanawha or Putnam County. One chance is in Montgomery, the place BridgeValley Group and Technical Faculty nonetheless has area.

West Virginia has had no constitution faculties till now, after passing a state legislation permitting them in 2019. Constitution faculties would obtain monetary help from the state’s public training system and could be given better operational latitude in trade for the potential of shedding their proper to function in the event that they fail.

The Legislature final yr expanded that legislation to permit extra constitution faculties and to increase the methods they may apply.

Kissel was offering an replace to the Legislative Oversight Fee on Training Accountability throughout interim conferences.

Final November, the state’s skilled constitution faculties board permitted purposes by West Virginia Academy within the Morgantown space, Jap Panhandle Preparatory Academy and Nitro Preparatory Academy together with the web West Virginia Digital Academy and Digital Preparatory Academy.

West Virginia Academy is projecting enrollment of about 500 college students for grades kindergarten to 9. Jap Panhandle Preparatory Academy is estimating preliminary enrollment of greater than 150 for pre-Ok to grade 10.

Digital Preparatory Academy of West Virginia has estimated about 360 college students for the approaching college yr. West Virginia Digital Academy is estimating 500 college students.

“Neither certainly one of these digital faculties has a lot of enrollments but,” Kissel mentioned. “I’m advised that for digital faculties the enrollment sample could be very backloaded towards the tip of summer season, so we’ll see whether or not or not they’ve reached their numbers.”