Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds college program, will move to larger building – Reuters

ROCHESTER — In the years to come, local families will have another option for where to educate their school-aged children.

The Rochester Academy of Arts and Sciences recently announced that it will be moving to a larger facility and adding a college program to its offering.

“We recognize that in Rochester there are challenges for the educational environment at this time,” said Allison Matthews, co-chair of the school’s board of trustees. “This is a time when the Rochester community is looking for another college.”

The private school now on Skyline Drive, just off U.S. Highway 52, has about 150 students through fifth grade. Even without the addition of middle grades, the small school community was starting to feel a bit “pinched” in its current space.

This will not be a problem in the new installation. The move will increase the school’s space from approximately 16,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet. The school’s new home is the former location of the Minnesota School of Business, 2521 Pennington Drive. NO.

Kindergarten students work on a project Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

Traci Westcott / Post Bulletin

Although the school is growing, it still sees itself as another option for families looking for a smaller environment.

“I think having more options really benefits kids,” co-chair Lindsay Warner said. “There are children who thrive in large public schools and there are children who thrive in small schools. And so we just want to be another option.

The school will begin moving into its new facilities in July and vacate its current facilities by the end of August.

The new college program will be added in stages rather than all at once. It will start by adding sixth grade for fifth graders this year. The year after, the seventh year, followed by an eighth year the year after.

The school, which started in 2007, is based on the International Baccalaureate curriculum, which is “research-centered and open-minded for students,” according to the school’s website.

“With so many people in Rochester coming from a wide range of communities, it’s something a lot of them are specifically looking for,” Matthews said.

1/8: A kindergarten child works on a project Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

2/8: Kindergarten Linnea MacDonald works on a project Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

3/8: Kindergartener Sophia Wong Kee Song works on a project Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

4/8: Second-grade teacher Julia Schulz asks a question about Galileo Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

5/8: Fourth grade teacher Ben Olson talks to students about their mystery writing assignment Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

6/8: Fourth-grade teacher Ben Olson distributes class work to students Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

seven/8: Freshman Maxwell Bakri works on a superhero drawing Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022, at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

8/8: A sign is pictured in the lobby Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 at the Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy in Rochester, Minnesota. The Rochester Arts and Sciences Academy adds a college program and moves to a larger facility.

The Rochester Academy of Arts and Sciences is moving to a new location, shown in this rendering. It is the former facility of the Minnesota School of Business.