Lake Lure Classical Academy (LLCA) will embark on its thirteenth year when it opens its doors for the 2022-2023 school year. The academy at Lake Lure was a community dream from the beginning. After more than fifty years without a school in the area, community members came together to secure a charter for a K-12, public school that today serves more than 500 students. “The work simply could not be done without the investment and support of the community” commented School Director Barbara Cohen. “Our vision at LLCA,” Cohen said, “is to partner with community resources so that together we might develop a school of academic excellence for those who live in Lake Lure and the surrounding area.”
Today, after more than a decade as serving as the local area school for this community, LLCA is proud that its vision for partnership with community resources is a fulfilled vision. Every part of the school is, in some way, connected to the community.
Cohen shared this list of community partners, for which the school’s faculty is very thankful:
The Town of Lake Lure: The town’s police officers and firefighters are frequently seen on campus, and they play a vital role in keeping the campus safe. Mayor Carol Pritchett has also shown great kindness to the Raptors. She even fed one group of them lunch this year!
Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach provides lunches every day for more than 100 of our Raptors.They have also donated refrigerators for our lunch program. On a weekly basis they also provide much-needed food assistance for many of our Raptor families through a food backpack program.
Fairfield Mountains Chapel sends over many trained tutors, mentors, and volunteers. These Chapel members have provided weekly reading and math tutoring for many of our elementary and middle school students. This congregation also provides a $10,000 academic scholarship annually for one of LLCA’s graduating seniors.
Lake Lure Baptist Church is known for taking good care of the teachers at LLCA. Throughout the year, they provided several meals to the teachers, in hopes of keeping the teachers’ spirits high. They have also been instrumental in providing much needed school supplies for classrooms.
The Elizabeth Program, a mentoring for medicine initiative, trained more than a dozen community mentors for LLCA students this past year. These mentors mentored high school students who have a desire to enter the medical profession, and they will continue to mentor these students throughout their college years.
Blue Ridge Health provided one-on-one counseling services for our students, and Dr. Rivers Woodward is involved as a mentor at LLCA. Dr. Woodward also delivered this year’s commencement address, which the graduating seniors found riveting.
Knight Strategies is currently overseeing the construction of outdoor classrooms on LLCA’s campus, and they have gifted the school with the designs for the classroom.
Meger Landscaping, New River Landscaping, and Tim Edwards Landscaping have all provided labor and donations to help beautify the campus and to help with the formation of a pollinator garden at LLCA.
“It is truly edifying,” Cohen remarked, “to be part of a school that has such incredible community support and backing. All schools face many challenges, and though that’s no different for us at LLCA, it is deeply encouraging to us to be part of a community that deeply values the education of our young people.” Lake Lure Classical Academy would not be the school it is today without the support of the community and without the support of volunteers.
The school is actively preparing for the start of the 2022 -2023 school year, If you would like to be involved as a volunteer, tutor, or mentor at Lake Lure Classical Academy, please call the school at (828) 625 – 9292. It takes a community to make a difference in the lives of children.
