Great Expectations Charter School looking at adding to its facilities

Great Expectations Charter School has outgrown its current facilities, so plans are being made to expand.

To that end, an open house was held Tuesday, Jan. 9 to discuss a Master Planning phase with the architecture firm, ATS&R.

This phase included meeting with teachers, paras, administration, parents and the school board.

“The Master Plan is a crucial time for us to engage each other in frank discussion of realities, dreams, and hopes for the future of GES,” said GES Director Peter James.

“We are at (and realistically, slightly beyond) the ability of our facilities to meet our needs. Rather than just tack on a couple more classrooms, we are trying to create a Master Plan that considers our educational philosophy, our expected/desired enrollment, and the financial constraints we face,” added James.

The school’s current enrollment is 103 students grade K-8, said James, adding, “Our efforts are centered on serving those students better.”

The Tuesday session included input from staff, from parents, and from the board.

“We have also conducted an online survey of parents and staff to help identify and rank priorities of each group,” James said. “The goal would be to have a plan developed by the end of the month, and a plan for construction that would provide new space (probably a first phase) before school begins next fall. It’s a tight timeline, but one we need to hit if we’re going to continue to meet the needs of our students and families.”