Representatives of Citizens of the World Charter Schools accepted a pledge of support from a local developer last week.
Local developer John Hoffman says he thinks schools are a key component to revitalizing Midtown. That’s why he pledged to help raise $25,000 for a charter school effort aimed at opening two new schools in the fall of 2016.
Hoffman spoke about the importance of schools at a groundbreaking ceremony this month for a new apartment he developed at 37th and Gillham.
Kriste Dragon, CEO of Citizens of the World Schools, says the Kansas City community has been supportive of her group’s efforts to open the schools.
The Midtown Community School Initiative, a group of Midtown parents, began bringing community stakeholders together in 2013 to increase the number of high-quality schools in Midtown. They then issued an RFP asking for charter organizations to consider opening schools in Kansas City. Citizens of the World, a California-based charter school organization, responded to the RFP and agreed to partner with the local initiative. Citizens of the World currently has five schools in California and New York. They plan to open two K-1 elementary schools in 2016 and keep adding grades until they are running four schools for elementary, middle and high school students.
“The Kansas City community seems to agree that educational opportunities are important,” Dragon said. The charter school effort recently received $2.65 million in funding from the Kauffman, Hall and Walton Family Foundations, and Dragon says the partnership has gotten a number of offers of time and expertise as well as money.
She says Citizens of the World is focused right now on raising additional funds, as well as hiring principals and teachers, recruiting students, and continuing to engage with the community.
Who’s talking