One of the Reno area’s longest operating charter schools, and perhaps its largest, is growing with the addition of a second elementary school campus in south Reno. The Coral Academy of Science’s new school will eventually serve grades K-5 and is located adjacent to its high school at 6155 Neil Road.
Sean Monahan, CAS’s student mentor and director of operations, said the new elementary campus will become the school’s second; the northern campus on Valley Road will continue to operate for grades K-4.
“Information garnered from research and surveys led us to the conclusion that another elementary is what the community most wanted,” he said.
The new facility will transform the former 24 Hour Fitness to include 27 classrooms along with an art/music room, library, special education room and multipurpose room, which makes use of the gym’s indoor basketball court. The fitness center did not reopen after closing in March 2020 amidst COVID-19 business closures.
Monahan said CAS has yet to decide what to do with the property’s outdoor pool, but several suggestions have been floated including using it for a swim team for students at the adjacent CAS High School or for after school activities.
CAS said plans are to open the new school in August 2021 for students in kindergarten through fourth grades, and expand to include fifth grade in 2022. Applications are already being accepted for the coming school year.
More information about enrollment and floor plans for the school are available online at http://www.renocoralacademy.org/.