3 public charter schools continue to make progress towards launching in Cedar Rapids
Empowering Excellence Charter HS- Empowering Excellence will serve predominantly opportunity youth from ages 16-21. Sarah Swayze will serve as the Executive Director. Sarah has hired all of the administrative team. Collectively they have decades of experience in education, with most of that in the Cedar Rapids area. Empowering Excellence has already enrolled over 30 students. The charter school will be located at the Collins Community Credit Union building, 1800 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, where the educational nonprofit Empowering Youths of Iowa was based. Applications to Empowering Excellence Charter School open July 9 at empoweringexcellencecs.org.
Quest Forward Academy- Quest Forward Academy will serve students in grades 6-12. They have hired Justin Blietz as their founding principal. Justin is a lifelong resident of Cedar Rapids. He has serves as an educator and administrator within CRCSD for years, including most recently as principal of Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy. Justin looks forward to giving back to his community by launching a high-quality public charter school. Quest Forward is currently searching for a facility in Cedar Rapids. They plan to launch in August of 2025.
Civica Academy- Civica will serve students in grades K-5. They are currently searching for a facility in Cedar Rapids. Once that is accomplished, they will begin to hire staff and recruit students. They plan to launch in August of 2025.
View the full Cedar Rapids Gazette article here- https://www.thegazette.com/k/charter-schools-coming-to-cedar-rapids-begin-hiring-staff/
