The school’s new football team played its first game Tuesday, and students and faculty say it’s a sign of the south Toledo school’s growth.
TOLEDO, Ohio — While some public schools are struggling to expand, Toledo’s charter schools are thriving.
Northwest Ohio Classical Academy, located in the Southwick area, has more than doubled its student population in the six years since it opened and has added sports and extracurricular activities.
The school started with 200 students and now has over 600, with plans to expand further.
NOCA’s new junior soccer team will also be starting its first soccer match on Tuesday night, which for students and staff symbolizes the school’s growth.
“A lot of programs have developed that are very beneficial for students,” said fourth-year student Ethan Gremlich.
In addition to recently adding a new soccer team, the school has expanded its extracurricular activities, classes, teachers and the building itself.
Principal Scott Henry said the school initially served kindergarten through eighth grade, but now serves up to 12th grade.
“I think one of the key core factors was the ongoing core community that our school has fostered,” Henry said.
Henry said NOCA is a “classical” school, so you won’t see much technology in the classrooms, and students wear uniforms and follow the seven cardinal virtues.
The principal added that unlike public schools, NOCA does not get funding from property taxes or school levies, but is funded through donors and state funding, which brings in about $8,000 per student.
“As a public charter school in Ohio, our funding comes directly from student enrollment fees,” Henry said.
As the student population grows, so does the number of students participating in sports: Todd Sturken, NOCA’s director of institutional development, said the school has 250 athletes involved in eight different sports.
“Our current students and the families who invested early on are giving future students the opportunity to build on that foundation and really excel in sports and athletics,” Sturken said.
The soccer players are serious about building the foundations.
“We have to set the standard for teams that are coming up,” senior Samuel Ferradino said.
The Spartans lost their opening game on Tuesday, 5-0, but are looking to have a successful season.
NOCA will hold a fall admissions event on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. in the building at 5025 Glendale Ave.
