Triangle's newest charter school celebrates opening in Apex
AND THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
>> KEN SMITH REPORTING FROM
OUR NEWSROOM. KEN, THANK YOU.
>> THE STATE'S TOP EDUCATOR IN
OTHER NEWS THIS NOON
CELEBRATING THE OPENING OF THE
NEWEST CHARTER SCHOOL IN WAKE
COUNTY.
>> TRIANGLE MATH AND SCIENCE
ACADEMY IS EXPANDING ITS
FOOTPRINT AND ENROLLMENT WITH A
NEW CAMPUS IN APEX. THAT'S
WHERE WRAL'S MATT TALHELM IS
LIVE WITH A LOOK AT THE GAINING
POPULARITY OF THIS SCHOOL
CHOICE IN OUR STATE THAT.
>> YEAH, RENEE, THIS IS THE
FIRST PHASE OF THIS 65 MILLION
DOLLAR CAMPUS HERE IN APEX.
THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT OF
THE TST MSA SYSTEM HERE SAYS
THIS IS A WAIT LIST. THEY HAVE
A WAITLIST IN THE TRIANGLE OF
ABOUT 6500 STUDENTS FOR ITS
SCHOOLS HERE IN THE AREA STATE
SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION CATHERINE TRUITT
JOINED THE SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATORS HERE AND THE
MAYOR OF APEX TO CUT THE RIBBON
ON THIS NEW SCHOOL. RIGHT NOW
IT IS HOME TO ABOUT 600
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN
KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 5TH GRADE.
THE SCHOOL IS THE NEWEST OF
MORE THAN 200 CHARTER SCHOOLS
IN THE STATE. THAT'S A NUMBER
THAT'S MORE THAN DOUBLED SINCE
2011. THEY DO RECEIVE TAXPAYER
FUNDING, BUT THEY'RE OPERATED
BY INDEPENDENT NONPROFIT
BOARDS. CRITICS HAVE ARGUED
THE CHARTER SCHOOLS TAKE AWAY
RESOURCES FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS
AND AREN'T AS DIVERSE. BUT THIS
SCHOOL IN APEX HERE HAS A
STUDENT POPULATION ABOUT 68%
ASIAN. THAT'S ACCORDING TO
STATE ENROLLMENT NUMBERS.
IT IS A TUITION-FREE ACADEMY
FOCUSING ON SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY,
ENGINEERING THE ARTS AND MATH.
>> SO THE INNOVATION THAT THIS
APEX IS DOING IS REALLY IN LINE
WITH WHAT OUR STATE'S ECONOMIC
NEEDS ARE, WHERE THE JOBS ARE,
HOW TO MAKE STUDENTS REALLY
PREPARED FOR LIFE AFTER
GRADUATION. THIS IS LOOKING FOR
A TEXAS WHERE CAPACITY FOR MANY
SCHOOLS. SO WHAT TSA IS DOING
HERE AND THEN I COULDN'T STAND
WITH IT. THIS IS AMAZING.
>> MORE THAN 140,000 STUDENTS
ACROSS THE STATE ARE NOW
ENROLLED IN CHARTER SCHOOLS.
PLANS TO ADD 6TH THROUGH 8TH
GRADE CLASSES AT THE CAMPUS
HERE IN APEX OVER THE NEXT FEW
YEARS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE
BIG PILES OF DIRT AND
CONSTRUCTION CREWS OUT HERE.
THIS IS FOR ANOTHER THIS
CAMPUS. THEY PLAN TO BUILD A
HIGH SCHOOL HERE WITH THAT,
HOPING TO OPEN IN 2024.