LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A new 163,000-square-foot school will welcome students in Lake County next month.
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The Aurelia M. Cole Academy, the second K-8 school in the county, will be open just in time for the new school year.
It replaces Clermont Middle School and Clermont Elementary School. The middle school closed in 2021, and the elementary school closed last year.
Students can learn about STEAM subjects, including science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
For students interested in computers, there will be skill classes for all grades and robotics electives in fourth and fifth grade.
A culinary program will teach children essential skills in the kitchen, and a dance studio will hold rotating dance classes. Second-grade students can choose to take dance instead of P.E.
Lake County Schools expects about 1,200 students to attend the school.
Read: Lake County health department hosting back-to-school immunization events
The academy is named for Aurelia M. Cole, a woman recognized as a pioneer in Lake County education.
Cole was a principal at East Ridge High School, and in 2004, she became the first African-American high school principal in Lake County after integration.
She was also chosen as an assistant superintendent and served as a dean in other schools around the area.
“Aurelia Cole had high standards for students and staff and genuinely cared about student achievement,” said Scott Voytko, principal of Aurelia M. Cole Academy. “We are proud to carry on her name and her priorities.”
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