With the understanding that education is the key component for future success, community members are working to open the Howard & Lillian Lee Scholars Charter School.

This proposed tuition-free public charter school is set to begin serving the Chapel Hill-Carrboro region in September.

As our school continues to go through the final approval process for both the charter and the property, we are working concurrently to help residents in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community understand who we are, and what we plan to offer.

State of the art

If approved, the investment being made in the community comes at no cost to taxpayers. It includes a new, spacious building containing 28 state-of-the-art classrooms, a gymnasium, library, art and music rooms, and a computer lab with 60 computers. There will also be a dedicated parent room, seven student support rooms for individualized instruction and wireless Internet throughout.

Lee Scholars will focus on providing a high-quality education for students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade that prepares them for high school, college, and beyond.

Lee Scholars will work with National Heritage Academies (NHA), which has a solid record of creating and sustaining schools across the nation – especially in North Carolina. Together, here’s what we’ll do:

• Develop a school culture that relies on a rigorous curriculum to prepare kids for college. The curriculum for Lee Scholars will be aligned with the Common Core Standards and meet all education requirements for the state of North Carolina.

• Embrace the conviction that all students can learn and succeed. NHA uses student achievement data gathered through testing to adapt our teaching practices. This allows us to make real time adjustments in our instructional approach as necessary. NHA personalizes our learning program through small group-differentiated instruction.

• Recruit outstanding teachers, and offer them a variety of ongoing professional development programs to help them deploy the best possible instructional strategies and tactics.

Five schools in N.C.

As you can see, Lee Scholars has chosen a strong and experienced management partner to oversee operations at the school and ensure that each student receives the best possible education.

National Heritage Academies operates five North Carolina schools with 3,383 students enrolled, and another 2,478 students on waiting lists.

All students deserve an education that will prepare them for success in life – and Lee Scholars has the vision and the management partner to achieve this. Parents and students interested in learning more are invited to visit our website at www.leescholars.org.

Tamara Thomas is the principal of the planned Howard & Lillian Lee Scholars Charter School.