Warrington Preparatory Academy announced plans to expand to high school over the next four years. The goal is to provide unique educational options for students focusing on workforce development through digital design, entrepreneurship and academic achievement to help its graduates earn industry certifications and Bright Futures scholarships.
“What we realized this year is that our sixth-grade class was low. We had about 148 students. The previous year, last year we had 200,” said Charter Schools USA State Superintendent Eddie Ruiz. “We did some research early on and started asking what the high schools around here are offering. What are their academics? What are their career programs?”
Charter Schools USA knows that in Florida’s school choice environment, where parents can enroll their children in any school, Warrington Prep must pursue other options.
“School choice is about providing unique options that parents can choose,” said Dr. Ruiz. “And so in doing that, we could create a good outcome for students if we did have a high school. And so that’s what I’m here to share. We plan to add ninth grade here next year, about 125 to 150 students.”
He continued, “We currently have an eighth-grade class of 199. So what’s going to be a little bit different is that ninth graders will not be zoned here. The ninth grade will be total choice. Parents will have to apply.”
Ruiz noted smaller high school enrollments have advantages for students. “This is a small boutique kind of high school. Eventually when we’re all said and done, there’ll be about 500-600 ninth graders, which is different from your local high schools around here with 900,1200,1600, or 1800 kids.”
Charter Schools USA has developed the WPA Program for the high school.
W – Workforce Readiness: Students will learn about entrepreneurship and how to open a new business.
“Workforce is for students who really want to take these hands-on approaches and be ready to have something if they don’t want to eventually go to a four-year college afterward,” said Ruiz. “The two roles are digital design and entrepreneurship.”
P – Prototyping: Students will earn digital certifications in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and gaming simulation/design.
Ruiz said, “In ninth grade, all students will take information digital tech, digital information technology. That’s the base course in ninth grade. And then they’ll branch off in 10th grade to one of three tracks.”
A – Academia: Students will participate in Cambridge University’s AICE courses, which will help them qualify for a Bright Futures Scholarship to earn as much as full tuition to a four-year university in Florida.
“None of the schools here in Escambia have AICE Cambridge,” said Ruiz. “It’s a three-year curriculum. You can start it in ninth grade, finish it in 11th, or start it in 10th and finish it in 12th, but you have three years, and you have to take a whole bunch of courses and pass seven of them. If you pass seven of those courses with the minimum score, you will receive a full Bright Future Scholarship to any college you want.
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