The Lake Lure Classical Academy board is moving forward with plans for the school’s new K-12 campus.
At the January school board meeting, the board authorized the use of $35,000 for immediate tasks required to get the project through design and permitting and to shovel-ready status.  The total cost of the shovel-ready tasks are estimated to be $120,000 – $140,000.
The school board and facilities committee prepared a one-page fact sheet about the new school facility and land, which is available on the LLCA website.
With completed site designs and permits in hand, construction can immediately begin when construction funds become available.
Upon completion, the phase one build-out of the new campus will support grades K-12 with two sections per grade and accommodate a maximum of 676 students. The 49,985-square-foot, pre-fabricated educational facilities will include 37 classrooms complete with art, music and science labs, and separate wings for lower, middle and upper grades. Additional features include a single entry point for the entire school and secured outdoor green and playground areas.
The campus also will have an 18,000-square-foot, pre-engineered steel gymnasium/auditorium structure with high-school sized gymnasium, wooden floor, raised stage with lighting and sound equipment, and stadium seating.
The $35,000 is part of a $150,000 short-term credit line from the Lake Lure Community Education Foundation (LLCEF), a local nonprofit working to raise funds for the school. Those funds will later be converted to become part of the school’s reserve funds for the bond, and then turn into a donation for capital expenses when the reserve is no longer needed. The foundation is also in the process of hiring a development director to expedite reaching fundraising goals for both the foundation and LLCA. More information about LLCEF’s “Raise the Roof” campaign can be found at www.lakelurelearning.org.
For a complete review of the new LLCA campus, visit the school’s website at www.llca.teamcfa.org or call 828-625-9292. Enrollment is currently open, and administrators advise enrolling now before a lottery status becomes effective in the near future.

– article submitted
by Michelle McConnell Yelton