School to use K12 curriculum

PAYSON — C.S. Lewis Academy, a charter school scheduled to open its doors in August, has signed a contract with K12 Inc. to provide the curriculum for math, science, art and history.

"And we are in negotiations to get their language arts program as well," said Rita Vest, the charter school's chief administrative officer.

C.S. Lewis Academy will pay $350 per student for K12's curriculum, which includes textbooks, and will pay more if it uses the company's language arts program.

The school has about 175 students registered in grades kindergarten through sixth and capacity for up to 350 students. Volunteers are distributing informational fliers in Payson, Santaquin, Mona and Nephi.

The school's governing board hopes to draw more students and intends to ask the Utah State Charter Board to allow the school to expand from two classes per grade to three, with the third class possibly a Spanish-English dual immersion class, Vest said.

"In August, we are submitting our plan for expansion for 7th-12th (grades)," Vest said. "And if they don't like (the plan), we'll do it again, and again and again."

The school is under construction near 150 North and state Route 198 in Santaquin and is expected to be ready by the first day of school, Aug. 21.

About 70,000 students throughout the United States use the K12 curriculum, but most of them are home-schooled.

Only about 10 brick-and-mortar schools use it.

C.S. Lewis Academy will be the first school in Utah to use K12.

One of the strengths of K12, said Sue Furick, the company's professional development director, is integrating history and art. Students learning about Mesopotamia, for instance, will practice the civilization's writing form, cuneiform, in art class.

Each lesson includes a form of assessment to ensure students have learned the concept, from quizzes to writing assignments.

K12 lessons align with the core curriculum that the Utah State Office of Education requires public schools teach students each year in each subject, with plenty of extra lessons students can use as enrichment.

Tamara Atkin, who lives in the West Mountain area of Utah County, will have a daughter enter kindergarten at C.S. Lewis.

Atkin is attracted to the Spanish classes the school plans to have in each grade.

"I'm really happy to get my child in that," she said. "I think not teaching children a (foreign) language at a young age is a shame. They learn it easier."

Charter schools are considered public schools. They receive public money through the state's per-pupil funding formula and are subjected to the state and federal standardized tests.

However, they are independent of local school districts and are usually governed by a board of parents.

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E-mail: lhancock@desnews.com