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Crossroads Academy To Open Second Downtown Kansas City Campus

Crossroads Academy

One of the more successful charter schools in Kansas City says it plans to open a second campus in time for the next school year.

Crossroads Academy is on Central Street just around the corner from the main branch of the Kansas City Public Library.

It opened in 2012, has doubled in size since that time and now educates about 350 students.

Executive Director Dean Johnson says the school will look for a building to buy downtown that will eventually serve about 400 students in  kindergarten through eighth grades.

“Kansas City’s renaissance is in full swing, and Crossroads Academy students are immersed in the heart of one of America’s most dynamic cities,” Johnson said in a statement.

He says teachers use all of  downtown's cultural and civic assets in their lessons and that's why the school's wait list now stands at 150 children.

The current building, says Johnson, cost $8.2 million dollars and except for a very small portion was paid for with a capital campaign.

The new building, which has yet to be found, will also be paid for with a fundraising campaign.

Crossroads traditionally does well on Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests and always scores near the top of all charter schools in the state.

Sam Zeff covers education for KCUR. He's also co-host of KCUR's political podcast Statehouse Blend. Follow him on Twitter @samzeff.

You deserve to know what your taxpayer dollars are paying for and what public officials are doing on your behalf – I’ll work to report on irresponsible government spending in the Kansas City area and shed light on controversies that slow government down. And when you hear my voice in the morning, you know you’re getting everything you need to start your day. Email me at sam@kcur.org, find me on Twitter @samzeff or call me at 816-235-5004.
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