Prospective Parents
Josh Andrew, Head of School
Dear Prospective Parent,
In the spring of 2013, Atlanta Classical Academy submitted a charter petition to Atlanta Public Schools, which carried 1,600 signatures and the promise of delivering an education that would train the minds and improve the hearts of the city’s children. Over the next year, the founding board and administration built a faculty composed of professional opera singers, practicing chemists, history professors, and recent college graduates to teach some 486 students in grades K-8.
Fast forward to today, ACA is a thriving K-12 school that has graduated 230 students with a 100% college acceptance rate, received state and national recognition for academic excellence, won multiple state titles in athletics, launched a second school in Kennesaw, and hired several alumni. Perhaps most importantly, we’ve assembled a faculty whose talent and vitality brought a new school to life in 2014 and whose perseverance and vision will build an educational legacy in north Atlanta that will bring value to our students and families long after graduation.
What kind of school is Atlanta Classical Academy?
Atlanta Classical Academy is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school serving students in grades K-12. Students must reside within the City of Atlanta to attend. Seats are filled through an independent lottery system operated by Atlanta Public Schools. The mission of Atlanta Classical Academy is to develop students in mind and character through a classical, content-rich curriculum that emphasizes the principles of virtuous living, traditional learning, and civic responsibility. Click here to learn more.
What is classical education?
The classical model emphasizes a content-rich liberal arts education that emphasizes critical thinking skills, citizenship, and character formation. Classical education enriches a young person’s heart and mind by leading them toward moral and intellectual virtue. It offers students the accumulated wisdom of the “best which has been thought and said,” and liberates them to learn what is true, do what is good, and love what is beautiful. By teaching students to cultivate virtue, classical education leads them toward lives of freedom and moral responsibility. Students learn to govern themselves and acknowledge their duty to their families, their city, and their country. Click here to learn more.
How do I apply for enrollment?
Enrollment is based on a lottery. The lottery application for the upcoming school year is posted on our website in early January. To be considered in the lottery, families submit an application during the open enrollment period (early January through the end of February). Applications submitted by the February deadline will be considered for the lottery. The lottery is held in early March, at which time students will receive an enrollment offer or be placed on a grade-specific waitlist. Applications submitted after the February deadline will be added to grade-specific waitlists. Click here to learn more.
