Arts Academy Charter School Approved For Mobile

The Alabama Public Charter School Commission unanimously voted to approve the Floretta P. Carson Visual and Performing Arts Academy charter school for Mobile, AL.com reported. The academy, named for a late Mobile-area music educator, will have a school of music, dance, theater and visual arts. It plans to open its doors to 245 students in grades 6-9 in August 2024. Eventually, it wants to enroll 320 students from grades 6-12 by 2029. Families will need to apply for seats, but there will not be restrictive requirements to enroll. Currently, only one other school in Alabama, the Alabama School for Fine Arts in Birmingham, provides all-around arts offerings. Floretta P. Carson leaders say they will provide world-renowned mentors, one-on-one instruction and opportunities for students to showcase their work in front of the community. The college preparatory school is to offer an advanced high school diploma with pre-advanced placement (AP) and AP courses. It would be the third charter school in the city, joining ACCEL Academy, which opened in 2017 and serves several counties, and Covenant Academy, which plans to open in 2023.