Availability of land, accessibility and population growth in the area were the major factors in choosing the site, Mentley said. Architects plan to unveil drawings for the new charter school at a meeting of the academy's board of directors next month. Groundbreaking is expected in the spring, Mentley said. The Grand Traverse Academy received its charter in April from Lake Superior State University. Universities statewide no longer are issuing charters because the law caps their number at 150.
Charter schools are public schools funded with state dollars.
They are required to follow sate laws, but are allowed to experiment with curriculum. There are six other charter schools in northwestern Lower Michigan. The curriculum is based on the Quality School Philosophy developed by the William Glasser Institute, a California-based organization founded in 1967 that specializes in behavioral and educational sciences. It promotes ideas known as choice theory and reality therapy. The Grand Traverse Academy will be a sister school to the Livingston Developmental Academy in Hartland, which is known for its ability to decrease the need for medication in children with attention deficit disorder.