New tuition-free classical charter school to open in Midland this September

The public charter school plans to open Sept. 8 with grades K-6 before expanding to a full K-12 program.

MIDLAND, Mich. — Families in the Midland area will soon have another public school option when Founders Grove Classical Academy opens Sept. 8, offering a tuition-free classical education for students beginning in kindergarten through sixth grade.

The public charter school, located on Wheeler Street, will add one grade level each year until it becomes a K-12 school.

“There is no other school in the greater Tri-City area right now that really offers a tuition-free classical education,” said Sara Ladwein, board president of Founders Grove Classical Academy.

The academy will use curriculum developed through Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative and emphasize a traditional approach to education rooted in Western civilization. Students will study classical literature, Latin, cursive writing and phonics while spending less time on classroom technology.

“We’ll have a strong moral and virtuous foundation in what we teach,” Ladwein said. “The students will need Chromebooks for testing that all public schools have to do, but the day-to-day activities in the class will be very hands-on. There won’t be Chromebooks as part of the classroom.”

Ladwein said recent research has raised concerns about excessive screen time and its impact on student learning.

“It is very important that the students are doing that,” she said of handwriting. “There is a lot of research that’s actually recently come out where it’s talking about how a lot of the decline in the cognitive abilities in our students today are because of too much screen time.”

She also said cursive instruction will be part of the curriculum.

“I think that’s really important, both from the perspective of being able to read founding documents that our students will study, but also the fact that it does increase that cognitive ability through the writing,” Ladwein said.

Founders Grove is authorized by Central Michigan University, making it a public charter school that families may attend without paying tuition.

“We wanted to do that in order to be tuition free,” Ladwein said. “We think it’s very important that families in this mid-Michigan area have an opportunity to come to a different school if they want a choice that’s tuition free.”

Organizers spent several years working toward opening the school and meeting with community members to determine whether there was interest in another educational option.

“A lot of their early work was just community engagement,” Ladwein said. “What are you looking for? What are you looking for in a school? What’s important to you?”

She said the academy is designed to serve families seeking an alternative to traditional public schools, homeschooling or private schools.

“We understand that some parents cannot do homeschooling. Maybe it’s not the right fit for their student, or private school tuition is just too high,” Ladwein said. “We want that private school feel with a tuition-free option.”

The school also will follow a modified weekly schedule, with full school days Monday through Thursday and early dismissal on Fridays. Ladwein said the longer days allow for multiple breaks to help students remain engaged.

“We value family time,” she said. “Having that last beautiful month in Michigan to just go and be with your family and enjoy, that’s really important.”

The academy is continuing to hire teachers ahead of the school year.

“We’ve been really, really encouraged by the number of teachers we’ve had apply,” Ladwein said.