The North Carolina city of CharlotteA brand-new lower school facility was officially opened by Charlotte Preparatory School administrators.Saturday night, almost two years after their former facility was destroyed by fire in June 2023. Leaders referred to the celebration, which drew hundreds of families, as a time of resiliency and rejuvenation.
A Tragic Fire Sparked Rebuilding Efforts
Todd Ballaban, the school’s head, thought back on the community’s recovery from the fire:
Our old structure was tragically destroyed by fire in June 2023. And reaching this point has been a valiant endeavor and a testament to tenacity. We are gathered here to honor the community’s resiliency and optimism. And we’re thrilled.
The exact cause of the fire is still being investigated, but investigators at the time said that the destroyed area of the lower school lacked a sprinkler system.
In order to maintain uninterrupted classes following the disaster, educators and students turned to modular modules as makeshift offices and classrooms.
A New $13 Million Campus
More than twice as large as the original lower school, the new two-story structure cost $13 million to build. It has eleven large classrooms for kindergarten through fourth graders, each little smaller than 1,000 square feet.
According to Ballaban, the updated layout enables educators to build spaces that are appropriate for any grade level:
The classrooms are really large inside. Additionally, it enables a kindergarten teacher to potentially plan a classroom for kindergartners, whose needs may differ from those of fourth graders.
Students and Families React
There is excitement among the students who will be attending classes in the new building.
Rising fifth student Kynoa Croal stated:
I believe it’s really cool since I understood that the entire new school wouldn’t have appeared if the fire hadn’t occurred.
Added by her friend Tammy Yaoad:
More education and space for new students will result from this.
Parents commended the school’s perseverance as well.The school community never faltered, according to Kyla Croal, whose daughter’s classroom was the scene of the fire:
I felt more assured that we had picked the appropriate school after seeing what this place was capable of. that the school was really about a community more than a facility.
Funded by Community Support
The school’s inaugural capital campaign enabled the reconstruction endeavor. With the support of donors and families, Charlotte Preparatory twice surpassed its fundraising target.
The renovation was made possible by the generosity of the community, according to school officials, guaranteeing a larger and more robust facility for children in the future.
The start of the new school year is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20. FollowSaludaStandard-Sentinel.com for community updates and coverage of continuing education.
