Millennium Charter Academy - Expansion Philosophy

History

Mount Airy families, wanting a superior quality education for area children, founded Millennium Charter Academy in the year 2000. They earnestly desired that the school serve this region as an academic institution focusing on robust academics and moral character development. The founders, furthermore, specifically addressed critical thinking skills, attention to individual students, community involvement, and the development of student leadership.

In October 1998, Ken and Diana Gwyn, Ken Peavy, David Hiatt, Carol Surratt, and Sandra Moore, met to discuss the possibility of beginning a charter school. After numerous meetings and mounds of paper work generated by the process of chartering a school in North Carolina, in January of the following year the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) granted a five-year charter to Millennium Educational Foundation, Incorporated. In 2003, the State Board of Education approved MCA's request to extend that charter to the year 2015.

The newly formed foundation quickly established committees and recruited additional citizens to help launch the school. Before there was land on which to build a school or even a facility in which to operate, these pioneers, recruited students, a director (principal), and some of the best teachers in the area. They also mounted a low-key capital campaign, which garnered $5,000. In late spring Millennium Educational Foundation secured land and within ninety days a 21,000 square foot, cost efficient, state-of-the-art building was erected.

In the meantime, Millennium Charter Academy opened its doors for kindergarten through fourth grades in space rented from the Mount Airy City Schools. Most of the parents associated with the school at that time helped clean the space and set up classrooms. As soon as J.S. Clark Construction Company completed the new building in September, those same families moved the school during a single weekend. Anticipating the growth that would come, within the year the Board of Directors successfully petitioned DPI for grades six, seven, eight and a total of 360 students.

Since its inception, Millennium Charter Academy has provided a superior quality curriculum in an environment that has welcomed innovation. It is a tuition-free alternative to the traditional public schools. After its second year of operation, the Board of Directors hired a new director with the charge to articulate to the school community the original vision and to carry MCA into the future.

During the 2002-2003 school year, the Challenge Center was established within Millennium Charter Academy. It is staffed with well-qualified individuals that address quickly, positively, and aggressively the needs of students that struggle in the academically rigorous environment of MCA. This department also addresses the needs of those students that excel in such a climate. Its mission is to assist and inspire all participating students in kindergarten - eighth grades to reach their academic potential, providing the educational resources through consultative, small group, individual, or classroom assistance. Through the work of the Challenge Center, MCA is more effective in developing successful, independent learners who are critical thinkers and leaders in the 21st century.

From 2002 - 2004, MCA promoted 42 students to the sixth grade at other
middle schools. Of those families, numerous parents commented that
their children adjusted easily to middle school, but are not being challenged.
One parent stated, "My child had a much more challenging year in fifth grade
math [at Millennium] than he is this year." In the winter of 2002, one mother
related her sixth grade son's continuous lament, "But we did that last year in
fifth grade [at MCA]." In January 2003 and 2004, MCA queried all the families
whose sixth graders had completed their fifth grade year at Millennium. The poll
questioned their youngsters' academic, social, and moral preparedness.
The results were overwhelmingly positive. Many parents requested that MCA
begin a middle school to continue the tradition of excellence. Therefore, plans
were made in 2003 and 2004 to add a middle school.

The Campaign for MCA

In response to the aforementioned demand, MCA developed a comprehensive five-year growth plan, which outlined enrollment, staffing, support services, class schedules, core curriculum, extra-curricular activities, facilities, and finances. Due to the demand, evident by the yearly waiting lists in the lower grades, in the fall of 2004, the Academy opened a third section of kindergarten. As this group moves forward, the school is committed to adding a similar group each year, until there are three sections of each grade level, K-8. The Board of Directors decidedly voted to open grade six beginning in the fall of 2005, committing the Academy to continue through grade eight by 2007.

In order to fulfill these plans, programs had to be expanded, additional facilities added, and land developed. Space in the enlarged facility had to serve grades kindergarten through eighth and be a resource to the greater Mount Airy area. North Carolina does not provide any money for capital expenditures to charter schools. Therefore, MCA is pursued a campaign to raise the necessary funds. Funds to complete phase one of a three-phased expansion were gathered through a government loan and private donations and two new classroom wings were completed in Spring 2006. See Capital Capital for more information regarding the expansion. With this addition, Millennium Charter Academy is able to provide for Surry and the surrounding counties a kindergarten through eighth grade education unequaled by any other area institution.

The basic project was approximately $5.2 million. It includes a library, a science lab, a wireless computer lab, an instructional art room, an art gallery, two athletic fields, a second lunchroom, a concessions area, a middle school administrative suite, and more than fifteen additional classrooms to support an expanded 4th-5th grade wing and middle school wing for grades 6-8 . The full plan includes a fine arts center, a state-of-the art playground, and enhanced athletic facilities at an additional cost of $2.25 million.

By May 2006, two new classroom wings were completed, adding more than 15 new classrooms, an expanded library, state-of-the-art science lab, a wireless computer lab, a concessions area, an instructional art classroom, art gallery, a second lunchroom, and a middle school administrative suite.

Adding A Middle School

"And what does it look like?"
Millennium Charter Academy
is a hybrid of the
junior high (curriculum-centered)
and the middle school
(student-centered) models.

From the junior high model,
MCA extracts a focus on
academic subjects, the
mastery of concepts, and the
emphasis on cognitive
development. These years
intentionally serve as a
transition from elementary school to high school. The school is developing a structured extra-curricular program of clubs and athletics that includes, hopefully, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, mountain biking, competitive jump roping, rock climbing and rollerblading. MCA will retain a part time counselor / consultant to provide families with information and suggestions on how to build their own family by interacting with their child through developmental milestones. The administration, teachers, and staff will be recognized as benevolent authority.

From the middle school model, MCA profits from its student-centeredness, the collaboration of interdisciplinary / collaborative teaching teams, and space arranged by composition of those teams. Scheduling will have large blocks of time to allow the younger grades optimal instructional periods. The faculty stresses critical thinking for all students and the delivery of the curriculum through various strategies. The school is mindful of both the affective and cognitive domains, while not over emphasizing the former. Families are encouraged to have regular involvement through meaningful roles in the schooling process. MCA further develops positive connections between the school and community through student service projects and, thereby, training young leaders with a servant's attitude.

Obviously, no individual or any one group could make all this happen. It has taken and will continue to take the time and strength of many. In order to develop the facility and land necessary to educate 500+ students in grades K-8, it will require financial contributions as well. The State of North Carolina does not provide funding for such capital expenditures, so we must count on God working through this community's confidence in MCA's ability to fulfill its mission.