Photo courtesy Westlake AcademyThe start of the new school year brought several major changes for Westlake Academy, the state's only municipal charter school. In addition to opening three new buildings, the academy provides an iPad for each student.
A $10.5 million expansion project that began in June 2013 ended in late September with the dedication of the Sam and Margaret Lee Fieldhouse. Westlake Academy athletes now have a weight room with state-of-the art equipment, showers and locker rooms in a new 8,600 square-foot building that also houses offices and classrooms for physical education.
The athletic complex was the final piece of the expansion project, with the bulk of the work done during the summer months while students were not at school. The project added 39,000 square feet of space to the academy. A new three-story secondary building includes 12 classrooms, flex and office space, and a new multipurpose hall consists of a commercial catering kitchen, portable stage and a traverse climbing wall.
Each classroom in the secondary building is designed with a SMART Board, part of an aggressive technology push by Westlake Academy. Three other SMART Boards, which are interactive whiteboards, were installed, including two in the school's portable buildings, to give the academy a total of 15 campuswide.
