The Cologne Academy Board will host a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007 at 4:30 p.m. The event will be held at the site of the new school, located next to the Cologne Community Center at 1211 Village Parkway, Cologne.

The new school building will be approximately 16,114 square feet and is designed to accommodate grades K-4. The school will be part of a civic campus that includes the Cologne Community Center, City Hall and athletic fields. The civic campus is designed to allow for additional school buildings or the expansion of the proposed building to accommodate the projected growth in the school.

The Cologne Academy will incorporate the latest in building technology and energy efficiency to provide a healthy school building that is efficient to operate. This all-brick building will use foam insulation in the exterior walls, abundant natural light, energy recovery heating and air conditioning systems, and a state-of-the-art ventilation system that improves indoor air quality by bring fresh air into the building on a continuous basis.

State law prohibits charter schools from owning their own building, thereby requiring charter schools to lease space. The State of Minnesota provides lease aide to charter schools to help cover the cost of the lease. Hans Hagen Homes will finance and construct the new building and lease the facility to the Academy. “We are pleased to assist the Cologne Academy Board in bringing quality education to the children of Carver County,” said Hans T. Hagen, President and owner of Hans Hagen Homes.

More about the Cologne Academy
The Cologne Academy will be the first public school in Carver County specifically dedicated to offering a research-based curriculum that teaches traditional academics and will be delivered in a nurturing community setting with small class sizes. It will provide a tuition-free learning opportunity that until now has only been available at select private schools. Upon its opening, the school will serve kindergarten through third grade with plans to add a grade each year through eighth grade. Depending on demand, the Academy may also add additional grades starting as soon as 2008.

The curricula at the Cologne Academy will provide students with a broad base of knowledge necessary for higher levels of learning. Students will become well-versed in world events, history and the classics, foreign language, science and the use of technology. The curricula of the school will include the nationally respected Core Knowledge Sequence, Open Court Reading, Singapore Math, Science and Technology of Children, Shurley Grammar and 6+1 Writing Traits Program.

For more information, visit the City of Cologne’s Web site at www.ci.cologne.mn.us and
click on the Cologne Academy.