Naples Classical Academy announces campus location in North Naples

Naples Classical Academy, a new classical curriculum K-12 charter school, has selected a location for its campus at 10270 Immokalee Road, just east of Collier Boulevard in North Naples. The $20-million campus will feature a two-story 70,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility with sports and recreational fields. A future development phase, including a 14,000-square-foot gymnasium, is also planned.

The 17-acre property is the current location of Fogg’s Nursery, which is relocating. The site was selected for its proximity to the high-growth intersection of Immokalee Road and Collier Boulevard, which includes Founders Square, a 55-acre mixed-use development that is currently under construction. With new residences and commercial space, Founders Square will bolster NCA’s presence less than a mile away.

“We’re thrilled to launch Naples Classical Academy in North Naples, an area that is experiencing strong residential and commercial growth,” said Erika Donalds, president and founder of The Optima Foundation, the nonprofit charter management organization that is helping establish and manage NCA. “This new tuition-free public charter school’s location offers the opportunity for families in the surrounding areas to choose a high-quality classical education for their children.”

NCA is the third charter school to be launched and managed by The Optima Foundation, a Naples-based organization founded to support the establishment and expansion of superior quality schools of choice in Florida. Its other two schools under management are Treasure Coast Classical Academy and Jacksonville Classical Academy.

Currently in the permitting process, construction is expected to start soon with Summit Construction Management Group, a company that has completed the construction of 36 charter schools in Florida, South Carolina and Michigan. Locally-based Peninsula Engineering will provide engineering services, and NOVA will provide inspection services for the project.

“With a place to call home, we’re eager to move one step closer to opening our doors to students next year,” said Matt Mathias, NCA’s governing board chairman. “We’re committed to delivering an amplified classical curriculum, centered on moral character development and competent civic virtue, to Naples students and their families.”

NCA has been accepted through a competitive application process by the Barney Charter School Initiative of Hillsdale College and will receive academic support from Barney Charter School Initiative in the initial stages of school startup. NCA plans to use the Hillsdale College K-12 Curriculum.

“We’re focused on providing a strong curriculum and instruction with Naples Classical Academy,” said Mathias. “Our mission is to train the minds and improve the hearts of young people through a content-rich classical education to produce graduates who are highly literate, responsible and ethical citizens.”

Enrollment is now open for the 2021-22 school year. The enrollment process for Florida charter schools starts with a random student selection lottery. Application for the NCA student selection lottery, kindergarten through 10th grade, is available at NaplesClassical.org/Apply. Eleventh grade will be added the subsequent year, and 12th grade will be added the year after. Parent information meeting dates and locations can be found online. The first lottery application deadline is Dec. 31, 2020, and the first lottery will be held Jan. 5, 2021.

Naples Classical Academy’s curriculum utilizes explicit phonics and grammar, classic literature, and the Socratic method of instruction. Scholars study Spanish beginning in kindergarten and Latin starting in sixth grade. In addition to the four core academic areas, the school will also offer world languages, western civilization, music, and visual arts. The high school curriculum incorporates government, economics, and moral philosophy.

For more information, visit Naples Classical Academy at NaplesClassical.org.