Governor to speak at Macon charter school dedication

Gov. Nathan Deal will be the featured speaker at the Sept. 28 dedication of the Academy for Classical Education.

The academy, known as ACE, is a charter school in Macon.

In the school’s governing board’s first monthly meeting since ACE opened for classes Aug. 4, officials said a shuttle will bring guests to the 2 p.m. dedication ceremony from the parking lot of the Dillard’s department store at Shoppes at River Crossing.

“We went from an idea to a building in 15 months,” said Laura Perkins, co-founder and complex principal of ACE. “We’re settled in.”

Of the 760 students enrolled, 89 came from private schools, 35 from home schools and the vast majority from Bibb County public schools, Perkins said.

The school plans to enroll 120 students in every grade from kindergarten through 12th grade by 2018, Perkins said. It now offers only kindergarten through eighth grades, and 700 students are on the waiting list for enrollment.

The school does not yet offer transportation, but ACE officials are in talks with the Macon Transit Authority about possibly making the school a stop on the city’s bus routes.

To contact writer Laura Corley, call 744-4382.

This story was originally published September 15, 2014 at 9:01 PM with the headline "Governor to speak at Macon charter school dedication ."