A new charter school has announced plans to open a campus in New Bern next year.
Riverside Leadership Academy, a tuition-free public charter school, is currently in a one-year planning phase for its New Bern location and is set to open its doors to families in August of 2024, according to Marketing Director Sara Boileau.
The school will open with grades K-7 and add a grade each year until it serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade, she said.
According to a separate email response to questions submitted through the school’s website, a permanent location for Riverside Leadership Academy has not been identified yet.
“The Board of Directors is actively reviewing suitable locations,” the response stated. “Once a site is selected, we will publicize it on our website and social media.”
Riverside Leadership Academy applied for a charter in April 2022 and was approved by the North Carolina Board of Education the following February.
According to its website, the school plans to begin accepting applications for enrollment in January 2024. Any family with a legal residence in the state of North Carolina may apply for enrollment in a charter school.
The school will provide free and reduced price lunches for students as well as transportation, most likely one or two school buses with strategic pick up and drop off locations, the website states.
Riverside Leadership Academy would not be part of the Craven County Schools Local Education Agency (LEA). Charter schools are tuition-free, independent public schools that are authorized by the State Board of Education and operated by independent, non-profit boards of directors. A charter school, which is funded primarily through state and local tax dollars, is considered its own LEA.
In terms of curriculum, Riverside Leadership Academy will follow the NC Standard Course of Study, according top the school.
All North Carolina charter schools are required to participate in the state’s accountability program, administer end-of-grade and end-of course tests, and provide data for NC School Report Cards.
For more information, visit riversideleadershipacademy.org.
By Todd Wetherington, co-editor. Send an email with questions or comments.