New charter school coming to Estero
A new free charter school featuring a classical education is heading to Estero. Optima Classical Academy at Estero will open for the 2023-2024 academic year starting with grades K-8 and then adding each year to reach grade 12 and a capacity of 1,250 students.
Erika Donalds, CEO of OptimaEd, said Naples Classical Academy, that she opened last year, is so popular she wanted to expand into Lee County.
“We have a good chunk of families driving from Estero to Naples classical,” Donalds began. “I recognize there is opportunity for growth. I saw the need for a school and this is a great offering for all of the families there. I am excited that this is our first school in Lee County.”
The academy, that is managed by OptimaEd under contract with the Lee County School District, delivers a classical education model. Donalds says it is based on things like explicit phonics, grammar, diagraming sentences, reading classics, studying the constitution and more.
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“It is just a little bit different,” Donalds explained. “It is more based on knowledge instead of a focus on just the skills. Classic literature has stood the test of time. The classical model is what worked for thousands of years in the ways people were educated, including the founding fathers.”
Michelle Weston drives her first grader about 30-40 minutes a day to attend the classical academy in Naples and says it is worth the drive.
“I just really really like this school,” Weston began. “They read classic fairy tales. They just spent a couple of weeks reading Cinderella and then they read an Egyptian story that was like Cinderella and then a Korean story that was like Cinderella and they compare the stories and talk about the characters. It is slightly different stories, but all the stories that they read they connect the stories with other places. It has been really good for us.”
Weston said her daughter is reading chapter books and learning pre-algebra basics. Students there start learning Spanish in kindergarten. They are required to study Latin throughout middle school and can add another language in high school. Related arts are incorporated into the curriculum so if students are learning about medieval history in their classrooms, they will then learn about medieval music and art in those classes.
Lydia Ceccacci has children in kindergarten and third grade at Naples Classical Academy.
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“The curriculum is very strict, but it is very learning oriented,” Ceccacci said. “That is what we like about it. It is a great chance to grow with the school. The poems they read - it reminds me of when I was a kid. We just got done reading Black Beauty. He did Aladdin earlier. They learned about ancient Rome; he quotes Julius Caesar. It is much broader topics.”
One of the biggest differences between the classical charter school and a regular public school is the lack of technology. The classical schools very rarely use computers in elementary grades and use it only for research and projects in middle and high school. Donalds says parents aren’t worried about the lack of technology training.
“These kids don’t need our help with technology,” she stressed. “They know it better than us.”
Donalds says the school is designed for all types of learners from struggling to gifted. They accept students with an IEP and a 504.
“We have students on all ends of the spectrum when it comes to academic performance,” she said. “It is more about what parents are looking for in a school.”
This is the fifth brick and mortar charter school Donalds has started. There are also two in Jacksonville and one in Martin County along with a sixth school that is totally virtual. The new Estero school is open to all children regardless of income or zip code. Students will have opportunities for sports and clubs. Donalds says what they offer depends on demand
“Our goal is to develop innovative and effective tools and resources to better serve and advance the field of education and make classical education available to every family,” Donalds stated.
Donalds, who was previously a Collier County school board member, is a big supporter of charter schools.
“Charter schools are public schools and are just another option to have something different within that system, so to me it is an enhancement within the system,” she said.
The classical schools don’t provide transportation. The new school at 17660 Corkscrew Road is being built on 10 acres that used to be Good Roots Nursery. Enrollment, by lottery, is now open. When Donalds opened the school in Naples there were 3,000 applicants, so she suggests getting into the lottery quickly.
“It will get completive,” she stressed. “Especially in the younger grades, it gets very competitive.”
The academy is currently accepting applications for the student selection lottery by applying online at Estero.OptimaAcademy.org or emailing info@esteroclassical.org. Parent information meetings start December 29th at various locations and virtually. Check the website for more information.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: New charter school coming to Estero
