Kent’s first charter school selects location, students

Excel Public Charter School, the first of its kind in Kent, is preparing to open its doors to its first students in August.

The school, which will eventually serve students in sixth through 12th grade, will start with sixth-and seventh-grade students this fall, and add a grade each year.

The school will lease space in New Beginnings Christian Fellowship, 19300 108th Ave. SE, at least for now, said Excel’s executive director Adel Sefrioui.

“We hope to find a space that is big enough to accommodate all of our needs in the next few years,” he said.

Sefrioui said the church property is a good fit for the school, with approximately 20,000 square feet of space, including classrooms, a gym and a music room.

He thinks sharing the building with church will work well.

“Churches typically don’t use their facilities during school hours, and schools don’t typically use the space on Sundays,” he said.

Excel is one of six charter schools scheduled to open across the state for the 2015-2016 school year. The state’s first charter school, First Place Scholars, opened last fall in Seattle. An eighth school is slated to open for the 2016-2017 school year.

Washington voters approved the creation of 40 charter schools over a five-year period in the 2012 election.

Charter schools are independent public schools operated by non-profit organizations that are allowed more flexibility to be innovative with their educational program and are held accountable for improved student achievement.

School’s first students selected

Sefrioui said school representatives spent much of the fall and winter going door-to-door and volunteering in the community to spread the word about Excel.

“The level of interest is higher than what we expected,” he said.

The school is able to enroll 88 students in each grade.

The school had a lottery on April 3, but all students who had applied were selected, even though there were 96 sixth-grade students. For the seventh grade, 67 students applied.

Sefrioui said typically about 60 percent of students selected in the lottery actually enroll.

Parents have until April 17 to submit the enrollment paperwork. Sefrioui said if more than 88 students enroll for sixth grade, he can ask the state Charter Commission to increase the enrollment cap and hire additional teachers.

Sefrioui said the school will continue to accept applications. Students applying for seventh grade will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, while those applying for sixth grade will be placed on a waiting list.

School starts with orientation for sixth grade students on Aug. 18 and seventh grade students on Aug. 19.

Parents, students excited about Excel

Shannon Ford said she has followed the charter schools movement for a while and was excited when she heard Excel would open in Kent. Ford said the school’s focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) appealed to her because her son, Dennis, is interested in computer science.

Dennis said he looks forward to attending the school.

“It is different because it is a charter school,” he said. “I think it will be fun.”

Deanna Lugo heard about Excel when volunteers came to her house last fall. Lugo decided her daughter, Victoria, who will be in sixth grade, needed a change in her education. Lugo said she believes Excel will be able to equip her daughter for success after graduation.

“It has the programs so my child can move forward in life,” she said.

School structure

Sefrioui said the school is set up to be fully supported by federal, state and local levy funding.

He said under Washington charter, the school is not eligible for public funding until it opens to students, so Excel has funded start-up costs through grants and private funding. Excel received a more than $500,000 Charter Schools Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education, a $400,000 Planning and Implementation grant from Washington Charters and a $25,000 community engagement grant.

Excel’s school day will go from 8 a.m. to 4;30 p.m., two hours longer than a traditional public school, Sefrioui said. The school year will be 193 days long as opposed to 180 days in traditional schools.

He said the school day will begin and end with 30 minutes of homeroom, with lunch in the middle of the day. Students will focus on math and English in the mornings, and science, physical education and fine arts in the afternoon. He said this set up will help break the day up for students.

“When you talk about students getting burned out, it is not going to happen,” he said.

Excel will place a heavy emphasis on computer science, Sefrioui said. Students will take computer science courses each year and it will be also integrated into other parts of the curriculum.

Sefrioui said he has hired four of the nine teachers needed for the fall. The filled positions include an orchestra teacher, two math and science teachers and an English language arts teacher. He said the school still needs teachers for math, science, English, physical education and special education.

He said as the school grows, it will hire four to five new teachers each year.

Sefrioui said after-school programs will be offered based on what students want. He said there seems to be a lot of interest in track and field.

For more information, visit excelwa.org.