The city issued a building permit Dec. 2 for the K-8 Charter School of Hope at 2354 University Blvd. N.
Clearwater-based Park & Eleazer Construction LLC is the contractor for the 80,928-square-foot two-story school on 14.43 acres about a half-mile south of the university’s campus. The permit shows a job cost of $16 million.
The school is a partnership between Jacksonville University and Texas-based IDEA Public Schools that will develop a preschool-to-doctoral degree education hub in Arlington.
JU sold the property to IDEA for $3.27 million on July 15, according to a deed recorded July 16 with the Duval County Clerk of Courts.
Beginning in fall 2022, the campus will educate about 500 students in kindergarten, first, second and sixth grade. The campus eventually will serve students through 12th grade in two schools within the Arlington campus, JU said in July.
In addition to free tuition, the school will provide technology to every student, free bus transportation and after-school programming.
Students are selected by a random drawing from a pool of applicants.
Founded by former Teach For America Corps members with the slogan “Individuals Dedicated to Excellence and Achievement,” the first IDEA Academy opened in 1998 in Donna, Texas.
According to ideapublicschools.org, the program has since grown to 120 schools in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. For 15 consecutive years, 100% of IDEA Public Schools’ graduates have been accepted into college.