Academy of Warren
Warren, MI
Copyright © 2021 – Equity Schools, Inc
Goals
AOW’s new school leader said he wanted everyone entering the transformed school to think and feel: “Safe, Welcome, Comfortable, Family Oriented, Warm, Excited, Wow, Wonder.” And he wanted to increase enrollment capacity by 30%.
Challenges
AOW had no available funds, no donors, no access to new government funding, and no ability to divert funds from its limited operating budget. Its students were scoring very low on standardized tests. The neighborhood had a crime problem. Lenders were not interested. A recent New York Times story had featured AOW as an example of why Michigan charter schools are the worst in the U.S.
Results
Our solution – using no fund raising, no new government funding, and actually reducing AOW’s debt burden – has increased capacity by 30%. AOW now has record enrollment and a waiting list for the first time.
On this project we added a library, tutoring rooms, tech lab, science labs, art studios, maker space, TV/video studio, faculty co-working rooms, student lounges, bouldering studio, family lounge, dining hall, black box theater, gym, indoor soccer field, enhanced campus security, outdoor athletic field, student gardens, playground (student designed), and an interior “Learning Street.”