Midtown charter school breaks ground for expansion

academie-lafafetteAcademie Lafayette, the Midtown charter school, broke ground today on a six-classroom 7,150 square foot addition that will serve 115 kindergarten through third grade students.

The new wing of the school is part of an expansion/renovation project at both the Hyde Park location at 3421 Cherry Street and the Oak Street campus at 6903 Oak Street. In addition to six new classrooms at Cherry Street, the school is doing renovations at the Oak Street location.

alexandraAlexandra Bojarski-Stauffer, a 2003 Academie Lafayette graduate who now works at 360 Architecture, told the crowd at the groundbreaking ceremony that attending the French language school and studying abroad in Brussels in the 6th grade gave her the confidence to travel as a young adult.

“Thanks to each and every teacher who made that possible and every parent that helped Academie Lafayette exist,” she said.

Bojarski-Stauffer also said her experience at Academie Lafayette made her want to come back to Kansas City to work.

As part of the groundbreaking, school officials formally dedicated the school playground, which was built through the efforts of parents.

Academie Lafayette was the first Missouri charter school, founded in 1998. It has grown from 252 students in 1999 to 872 this year on the two campuses. The Cherry Street campus offers classes to k-2nd grade students, with 3rd through 8th grade classes taught at the Oak Street campus.

playground-dedication

One Comment

  1. Both of my children went to AL. They received an excellent public education and are fluent in French. Both are excelling in college. Thanks so much. It is my hope and prayer that the plans of the school to partner with the KC School District in a new high school at Southwest High School come to fruition.

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