A new charter school is opening in Fleming Island next school year, and there's already a waiting list to attend.
St. Johns Classical Academy is set to open at Hibernia Baptist Church in August as a kindergarten to eighth-grade school, then will grow each year, with its first graduating class in five years. So far about 600 parents have shown interest, but there are only 355 seats the first year.
"There’s been a huge amount of interest," Principal Michelle Knapp said. "We’re in the process going into a third lottery to fill up our spots. We’re building a waiting list. We have so much demand, we simply don’t have room for all the kids."
Some parents wonder why there's such interest in a new school in a county where most of the public schools ranked as "A" schools, but Kimberly Mclennan, who homeschools her children, understands.
"We need better options for schools, options that meet our child’s way of learning, or what they would be interested it," Mclennan said.
Clay County school officials issued a statement about the new school:
We wish them the best in their academic endeavors, but our focus will be to continue to offer quality rigorous academic programs and pathways for our students to become full option graduates.”
St. Johns Classical Academy will have two more enrollment periods over the next five weeks. There will be a lottery held on May 16 for any remaining seats for the 2017-18 school year. For information, visit STJCA.org/enrollment.