Collin County Charter School Breaks Ground For New Building

Nov. 18, 2011 - PRLog -- McKinney, TX – The Imagine International Academy of North Texas, a public tuition-free charter school scheduled to open in the fall of 2012, recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the commencement of construction for the school’s permanent home at 2860 Virginia Parkway in McKinney.  Operated by Imagine Schools, the Academy plans to serve approximately 950 students in grades K-9 for the 2012-2013 school year, offering a rigorous college preparatory curriculum based on the International Baccalaureate (IB) educational framework.

In attendance were State Representative Ken Paxton, Collin County Commissioner Joe Jaynes, McKinney Mayor Brian Loughmiller, Imagine Schools Founder and CEO Dennis Bakke, Texas Charter Schools Association Vice President Denise Pierce, and Texas IB Schools Executive Director Karen Phillips.

State Representative Paxton presented the school with a resolution on behalf of the state of Texas, which stated in part that “the education of our children is a vital enterprise, and by fulfilling its mission, the Imagine International Academy of North Texas will help to ensure that innumerable young Texans acquire the knowledge and skills needed to build a strong foundation for future success.”

McKinney Mayor Loughmiller shared his belief that the school’s internationally-recognized program of education would help attract additional global businesses and their employees to McKinney, strengthening the city’s reputation.

Imagine Schools founder and CEO, Dennis Bakke, and Imagine Schools Executive VP for Texas, Alan Olkes, both expressed appreciation for the many parents in attendance, stating that the primary mission of Imagine Schools is to “help parents educate their children,” emphasizing the key role that parents play in choosing and supporting charter schools.

“It is gratifying to see all of our work over the past five years coming to fruition,” said Ann Carrell, board president for the Academy, adding that “our future students and their parents will now play a very important role in developing this school into a community.”

Dallas-based property developer, Donald Gaskins, has partnered with Imagine Schools to provide the school with a facility of approximately 60,000 square feet containing specialty classrooms, multi-purpose space, and a library. The board of the Academy recognized Mr. Gaskins and his efforts by presenting him with a plaque to be placed inside the school building once completed.

The school began accepting applications for admission on November 1st, 2011 and has received over 500 applications to date. Applications will continue to be accepted until March 1st, 2012 from residents of the school’s primary geographic boundary which includes the school districts of McKinney, Allen, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, Melissa, Princeton, and Lovejoy.

The Imagine International Academy of North Texas is a public tuition-free charter school in McKinney, Texas, operated by Imagine Schools, offering a challenging college preparatory curriculum based upon the International Baccalaureate (IB) education framework. The Academy is scheduled to open in August 2012, serving students in grades K-9. For more information, visit http://www.imaginenorthtexas.org or email info@imaginenorthtexas.org