Training the minds of tomorrow, Ivy Classical set to open in August

Malia Riggs

Elmore Autauga News

The Ivy Classical Academy hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday afternoon where many members behind the vision of the new Elmore County School, were present for the momentous ceremony.

The Ivy Classical Academy through Hillsdale College K-12 is set to open in the fall for the 2024 school year, in the High Point Town Center located in Elmore County within Prattville city limits. This means the Ivy Classical Academy will fall under the umbrella of the Elmore County School system.

 Head of School for the Ivy Classical Academy David Withun confirmed there are over 600 students registered for this coming school year with capacity being 642 students the first year.

Four buildings were purchased to start the charter school. Initially the first phase for Ivy Classical will be getting the kindergarten through fifth grade building ready, which is what the groundbreaking ceremony was for today.

With each year, as children progress, Ivy Classical Academy will be adding one grade level to accommodate students and eventually serve through 12th grade. At completion of the current plan, Ivy Classical Academy will be able to house over 1,000 students.

The construction currently planned is projected to be complete by 2026, and it will be broken up into three phases. Phase one is getting the K-5th in the building.

The bottom floor will have kindergarten and first grade while the top floors will serve second through fifth grades.

Phase two will be the middle school building which will be adjacent to the K-5, and phase three will be the high school campus which is currently the two buildings across from the perspective K-5 and middle school. Many of the buildings that will make up Ivy Classical have never been occupied since High Point originally opened.

A large crowd consisting of local state representatives included Jerry Starnes and Troy Stubbs, Prattville Mayor Bill Gillespie, Millbrook city councilman Jimmy Harris representing the Elmore County Board of Education, members of the board of directors for Ivy Classical Academy, members of the construction team, Head of School David Withun, Director of Operations Brian Strain and local residents.

“Every step along the way, we faced challenges. But Hillsdale has been there. We’ve got a lot of new faces, a lot of new teachers, a lot of folks moved here from out of state, out of county to be part of the story. We all wouldn’t be here if we didn’t believe in it,” Chairman of the Ivy Classical Academy Board of Directors and founder of Ivy Classical Academy, Bradley Neave said.

Withun addressed the crowd and read the Ivy Classical mission statement, with many teachers in the crowd reciting along with Withun. The mission states it is to train student’s minds and hearts while putting an emphasis on virtuous living, traditional learning and civic responsibility.

“We’re at the very beginning of something amazing. We’re all looking forward to this August, and we’re all looking forward to May of 2032 (the first high school graduation year for Ivy Classical Academy), but what I’m looking forward to is May of 2052 (for the leaders of tomorrow). Starting August 7th, this is going to be a building full of future leaders,” Withun said.