TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine Schools, one of the nation's most accomplished charter school companies, announced today that it plans to open a public K-8 charter school for 726 students this August at Tallahassee's innovative new community, Evening Rose.
"We can think of no better place to locate one of our learning communities of achievement and hope," said Fred Damianos, regional vice president for Imagine Schools.
"This school will provide an exciting alternative to the private-pay school system, as well as give greater choice to students and their parents in the public school system." Enrollment in the charter school is free to all Leon County residents.
The school is scheduled to open August 20, 2008 in the upscale Evening Rose Town Center, a K2 Urbancorp development on the city's east side.
"Having a school that offers advanced learning techniques is critical to preparing children for a 21st century economy, and is a dream come true for Evening Rose," said K2 Urbancorp CEO David Wamsley.
"Evening Rose is now one step closer to our ultimate vision at K2 Urbancorp of having a complete community offering -- a world class preschool program, a K-8 innovation-oriented charter school, a 130-home Traditional Neighborhood Development, a town market, luxury retail shops, a spa, a credit union, five great restaurants, live work units, offices and much more.
"Add the fact that all of the K2 homes will be LEED-certified and that the entire town center will be built to U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards and I think we are on track to deliver the kind of development Gov. Charlie Christ has been envisioning for the State of Florida."
The K-8 Imagine School will use an innovative, nationally respected curriculum delivery system known as "Project CHILD" developed by the Tallahassee-based Institute for School Innovation.
"We have developed programs for schools across the nation, and Imagine Schools already is using our approach in a half dozen charter schools it operates in West Florida," said Dr. Sarah (Sally) Butzin, the not-for-profit institute's president and executive director.
The Project CHILD program is found in 41 schools nationwide.
Imagine Schools operates 51 schools nationwide, eleven in Florida.
Contact: John Wark (850) 321-6490
K2 Urbancorp
