1. It’s part of Akron Public Schools, with some big private money backing its launch
The school was the idea of James, an Akron native and NBA All-Star, reports the Akron Beacon Journal. The school is getting the same public funding per pupil as the other schools in the district, but it is also backed by large donations from organizations including James' foundation and others who are covering the extras not paid for by the school district.
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2. The students will be children considered academically at risk.
There will be smaller class sizes, a curriculum with STEM and social-emotional learning priorities, and a resource center to support students, according to Akron Beacon Journal. The students starting Monday are 240 third- and fourth-graders. More grades will be added and by the 2022 to 2023 school year, there will be first through eight grade students at the school.
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3. The proposal was first unveiled April 2017
James' foundation already funded the I Promise Network, which at the time was supporting 1,100 students in grade schools in the Akron area. The idea for the school was first introduced last year as a way to take what works in the I Promise Network to build a curriculum and bring it under one roof.
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