Cornerstone Academy receives $30 million bond for two school buildings in New Albany

Aaron Burd
·2 min read

NEW ALBANY, Ohio (WCMH) — A charter plans to build a new high school and transition the former building into a middle school.

Cornerstone Academy is a public charter school serving North Columbus communities. On Jan. 10, it announced it had closed on a $30 million bond that will go toward purchasing two buildings and more than 14 acres for an expanded high and middle school campus.

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Funds from the bond will go toward the purchase and build-out of a building on West Campus Road in New Albany, roughly doubling the school’s footprint to 100,000 square feet of learning and operational space. The school will add substantial adjoining acreage for future improvements. The new building will become Cornerstone High School.

Additionally, funds will go towards the purchase of Cornerstone High School’s existing building at 7525 W. Campus Road. That building will transition into a middle school once the new high school is done.

Expansion plans for the school also include the development of an outdoor athletic space. With the expansion, the school — which has a waitlist — plans to offer 300 new seats to K-12 students starting in the fall.

Opening in 2004 and managed by ACCEL schools, Cornerstone Academy serves 1,030 K-12 students across two neighboring campuses in Westerville and New Albany.

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The academy is one of the state’s top-performing charter schools. It received a 4.5 overall star rating from the Ohio Department of Education.

“Cornerstone Academy is an exceptional school that has consistently raised its profile in the landscape of charter school education in Ohio,” said Superintendent Dr. Natalee Long. “We are proud that the community is investing in the future by funding these capital improvements that will allow Cornerstone to serve more middle and high school students and provide them with the quality education they deserve.”

The school plans to open the new high school building in time for the start of the 2024 school year.

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