The first charter high school in Calcasieu Parish, Lake Charles College Prep, is set to open August 13th in Lake Charles.

Old Southwest Louisiana Charter School in the new temporary of Lake Charles College Prep
Old Southwest Louisiana Charter School in the new temporary of Lake Charles College Prep
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With a student body of about 110 ninth-grade students, Lake Charles College Prep will open it's doors August 13th.  This is not only the first charter high school in the Lake City, buy also the first new public high school in the area in more than 40 years!

The American Press reports Deborah Frank has been named principal and the school will be in the former SW Charter School, located at 2750 Power Center Parkway.  Prep will grow and add a grade each, so this years freshmen's will be next years first sophomores and so on, until the charter school has all 4 standard high school grades.

As with most schools in Calcasieu Parish, Lake Charles College Prep will welcome it's students for the first day of school on August 13th.  However, Principal Frank and her staff are looking forward to meeting students and parents/guardians during the parent-student orientation August 7th from 3-6 p.m. Students are expected to wear their school uniforms to take ID photos.

During the orientation, parents and students can expect to get plenty of info about their new school, plus student identification cards, transportation and class schedules will be issued out, to insure the first day of school runs smoothly.

Principal Frank said she expects enrollment next year to triple, telling the American Press “It won’t be perfect, but it will be as near perfect as we can get it.  We have some great people on board, and we’re all going to be wearing many different hats.  It’s going to take all of us to do whatever it takes to make this school get up off the ground and be successful.  Like the parents who have chosen to send their kids here, we have employees and teachers who have chosen to come here because they want to make a difference,” she said. "We all see this as an opportunity to really make that happen for some students who really need us.”

If you were wondering whether or not the school will have sports. YES!  Marcus Simon, is the school’s physical ed teacher and basketball/track coach.  Coach said he is excited to be a part of history, adding “To be the first brand-new public high school in the last 40 years, to be a part of it at the groundbreaking level, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he continued. “It’s special to be a part of something like that and be a part of change.”

Simon said Lake Charles College Prep plans to compete in basketball and track this year and become a Louisiana High School Athletic Association member next year. After doing so, the school will start its football program in 2016.  That's not all, Prep will offer all the same clubs and activities most high schools in the parish do, including cheerleading and student council.

Here's a look at the 2014-2015 calendar and for more details on how to apply, the curriculum or anything else click here.

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