New Charter School Approved, Targets 2024 Opening In Annapolis Mall

ANNAPOLIS, MD - Anne Arundel County is getting a new charter school that will offer an alternative approach to learning.

The Board of Education on Wednesday approved the New Village Academy. The free charter high school will soon be open to anybody in Anne Arundel County. 

New Village Academy hopes to open in fall 2024, and it's considering leasing a space in the Westfield Annapolis mall.

The school board voted 7-0 to okay the charter school. District 1 Board member Gloria Dent was not in the room during the vote, which happened 4 hours into the meeting. New Village Academy said Dent spoke favorably about their charter school before the vote.

There's still work to be done before New Village Academy can open its doors.

The Board of Education must now negotiate a contract with the charter school. This will specify the exact terms of their relationship. Board spokesperson Bob Mosier said this could take a few months.

"We were thrilled that the Superintendent and the Board members recognized that New Village Academy fills an important need in our community, whether or not they support charters on a policy level," New Village Academy founder Romey Pittman told Patch in an email. "We look forward to digging into the details with the AACPS team over the next few weeks to finalize our charter and beginning to enroll students for next fall when the AACPS lottery window opens on October 9th."

Related:

• Teacher Shortage: AACPS Will Start Year With About 170 Teacher Vacancies
• 2 Pasadena Residents Running For School Board In District 3
• Bus Driver Shortage Improving: All AACPS Routes Will Be Staffed This Year
• New Charter School Proposed In Annapolis Mall

New Village Academy, will offer "high school done differently" for Anne Arundel County students.

The school is targeting an enrollment of 150 to 250 students. Tuition will be free, as New Village Academy will have a contract with Anne Arundel County Public Schools.

Students can apply through a lottery, which will prioritize Annapolis communities with low incomes. There will be no selective admissions. The lottery sign-up will be posted at aacps.org.

"Our small size will enable us to be more nimble than a larger school system and provide an incubator for new strategies to inspire and challenge students who are not thriving in larger traditional high schools," Pittman said in a previous press release.

New Village Academy on Aug. 3 said it earned a grant from NewSchools Venture Fund. The money comes from the fund's Launch 2024 Venture Portfolio.

New Village Academy is one of 18 new public and charter school teams in the country to earn this funding. 

The charter school says it will prioritize experiential and project-based learning over lecture time. 

Students will spend one or two days per week in a workplace learning career skills. Small groups will also meet frequently with a mentor to discuss their academic and personal goals.

More information on the school is posted at newvillageannapolis.org.

More News from Annapolis

• Tropical Storm Ophelia Weather Decisions In MD: Renn Fest, Bay Bridge Paddle, Oktoberfest Tropical Storm Ophelia forced many weather decisions in Anne Arundel. Here's the latest on the Renaissance Festival, the Bay Bridge Paddle, Oktoberfest and more.
• Annapolis Author Releases 1st Children's Book, Celebrates With Party An Annapolis author released his first children's book. In the story, 10 cats and a mouse work together for historic preservation in the state capital.