Pictured: College Preparatory Academy at Wellen Park, a new tuition-free K-8 charter school, is under construction and now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year..

College Preparatory Academy at Wellen Park, a new tuition-free K-8 charter school, is under construction and now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year. Located at 11611 Mezzo Drive, just west of River Road off U.S. 41, College Preparatory Academy will open with an initial capacity of 600 students in grades kindergarten through sixth, with seventh and eighth grades being added each subsequent year. Managed by Charter Schools USA, College Preparatory Academy’s vision is to build college and career readiness through experiential learning and academics. Students will learn important skills through academics and technology-enabled experiences, with a parallel focus on college readiness and academic growth and emotional well-being. Utilizing an innovative village model, the school will have open and accessible spaces to encourage students to collaborate with classmates. Each grade will be a “village” and students will share four to five teachers, rather than being assigned an individual teacher. This student data-directed and teacher-supported model allows for greater flexibility to meet each student with instruction at the level needed and provide opportunities for students who excel to be even further challenged. The enrollment process for Florida charter schools starts with a random student selection lottery. Information on the enrollment process is available at wellenparkprep.org/apps. For families interested in learning more about College Preparatory Academy at Wellen Park, there are two upcoming information sessions taking place at the State College of Florida in the Selby Room: 6 p.m., Thursday, April 27, and 9 a.m. and noon, Wednesday, May 10. Additional information is also available at wellenparkprep.org or by calling 941-357-4783.

Pictured: College Preparatory Academy at Wellen Park, a new tuition-free K-8 charter school, is under construction and now accepting applications for the 2023-24 school year..